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What the EC deputy chairperson had to say at the forum called "Bersih's demands :: what is the Election Commission's explanation?" makes one wants to puke.
Is he a politician and a Bn stogge or is he the deputy chairperson of the independent body called the Election Commission? Can he as the deputy chairperson appear in public and make biased speeches? Can such a person function with integrity during election time? The rakyat must read what he has to say and decide. This very person is sufficient reason for the need to march when 9th July comes.
Check out these articles to help you make up your mind ::
EC: Bersih is Pakatan stooge in bid for Putrajaya
Media access: EC can advise, not compel
EC: We don't need foreign observers
EC shoots down Bersih’s demands ahead of rally
Foreign observers clueless about Malaysia elections, says EC
EC says Bersih Pakatan’s catspaw
Ambiga tells EC to remain neutral
I’ll wear yellow baju raya :: Mohd Syahir Sulaiman
THE Malaysian Insider
30th June 2011
JUNE 30 — Semakin lara kita didera bara, kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka, demokrasi sebenderang mentari, sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri — A. Samad Said.
Yellow symbolises wisdom.
July 9th is just around the corner, and talks get heated up in every corner, from Facebook urbanites to long house foyers. Thanks to RTM and Utusan for the free publicity.
People may differ. However, one thing in certain, all eyes are set on the upcoming saga. Suhakam, as a custodian of human rights in Malaysia, calls on the authorities to allow the planned peaceful assemblies to be held, and on the parties intending to hold these assemblies to exercise their rights in a peaceful and responsible manner. Yet, we hear the “threat to national security” excuse to cordon the march.
“The gathering would not only disturb the peace but also cause traffic chaos”, a senior police officer was quoted.
Yet, you have KL folks stranded in traffic jams following days of rehearsal and actual parade at Dataran Merdeka. I am one of them, stranded at Jalan Loke Yew while listening to the radio morning show. As a responsible citizen, we do not complain. And please, no road-block rehearsal prior to July 9th.
“Democracy attracts FDIs. Freedom attracts tourists.” Then one says, “Investors will shy away because of the domestic chaos”. Well, investors are smart enough in assessing the investment viability, political transparency being the key.
“Organisers of the Bersih 2.0 rally should consider the effects such an event will have on traders and consumers along the route of its march”, a minister said.
A Bersih spokesperson then assured, “At least RM30 million of cashflow will be generated within the 3 hours march, counting on possible 300,000 participants with cash in pocket of RM100 each.” Adding-up the ticketing revenue accrued by PLUS, MAS, AirAsia, KTMB and bus operators over the weekend, let’s get PEMANDU to bring their spreadsheet.
Demonstration is un-Islamic? Not part of Malay culture? Yet, Muslim scholars noted, “It is obligatory upon every Muslim to support whatever actions, words or stand taken in defence of truth”, plus “It is forbidden for the demonstrators or police to provoke anyone, resulting in riots. The police should realise that the demands are good for the country and not only for the betterment of the people but also the police”, as well “Many were imprisoned as a result of their criticisms against authorities of their time. We are the inheritors of this tradition, which provides today’s Muslims with a storehouse of democratic ideas”.
William E. Simon famously quoted, “Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote”.
I then find no excuse for me not to support BERSIH 2.0 Walk For Democracy. It calls for 8 immediate demands, namely
1) Clean the electoral roll
2) Reform postal ballots
3) Use of indelible ink
4) Minimum 21 days campaign period
5) Free and fair access to media
6) Strengthen public institutions
7) Stop corruption
8) Stop dirty politics.
SUHAKAM, in its statement reiterates that “it is the right of members of the public to assemble and to express their views in a peaceful manner, as provided under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, as well as Article 20(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).”
Still, wearing a yellow shirt is an offence in this country, at least until July 9th.
Nevertheless, yellow is the colour of preference for my baju raya this year. Hopefully, I won’t be arrested while carrying my kids, wearing yellow baju melayu complete with sampin and songkok, in queue for duit raya and ketupat, at the raya open house organised by our Pak Menteri. My intention is sincere, only to shake hands with my democratic leader.
A courtesy visit, that is.
* Mohd Syahir Sulaiman, and his two kids, perceive yellow symbolises wisdom. He advocates Negara Berkebajikan.
Why July 9 must go on
by June Rubis
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 30, 2011
JUNE 30 — I’ve noticed something interesting of late.
A few middle-class intellectuals back-pedalling on their initial support for Bersih 2.0. They say, yes I support this (in theory) but do we really need to march now? Haven’t we done enough to highlight the issues? Haven’t we won the PR (public relations, not Pakatan Rakyat) war?
I’m sorry, but I’m a bit confused.
The point of Bersih 2.0 isn’t about who gets best publicity, but rather for electoral reform.
These same intellectuals will admit, like you and me, that the current electoral process is unfair and biased. They are just feeling really uneasy about July 9. They want to know, isn’t there a better way to do this?
But yet, they cannot provide any credible solutions that could work.
How many more dialogues can civil society have with the Election Commission? Do we think that another dialogue out-of-the-blue just before July 9 would magically solve our valid concerns of the current electoral process? Are we that naive?
Fair enough, the pressure is on but I believe the person who feels it most is Ambiga Sreenevasan herself. The fact that she has been holding on so strong gives all of us the continued strength to carry on.
Along with the waffling from some moderates comes the more intense criticism of Bersih 2.0. Critics say that if the electoral process is unfair, how did Pakatan Rakyat win five states?
Indeed despite a grossly unfair electoral process, Pakatan Rakyat managed to win five states. And now maybe, just maybe, they could take over Putrajaya come the next general election.
Bear with me for a minute.
Imagine this.
Say, they did. They win the next general election.
Some of us are ecstatic; some of us are very upset. All in all, we have just received a new government. A change for the better, something different from Barisan Nasional, we will say.
Yet how do we know that after taking Putrajaya, they would be able to reform the electoral process? Perhaps some of Pakatan Rakyat leaders would have very good intentions to do so, perhaps some wouldn’t.
And we would be back where we are today.
This time, with Umno on the civil society front, urging for electoral reform.
We will then wonder why did we let this important opportunity slip away on July 9, 2011?
Regardless of which political parties are supporting Bersih 2.0, its aim is purer and clearer than any political party of the day.
To not support Bersih 2.0 because it currently receives massive Pakatan Rakyat support, in my humble opinion, is short sighted and very childish.
In 2007, we did not really have a problem with Pakatan Rakyat being involved in the Bersih march. In fact, we were more than happy that the PAS Amal Unit was there to keep us safe (I know I was).
Suddenly, in 2011, we are morally outraged that Pakatan Rakyat has yet again completely embraced Bersih 2.0.
Let’s not be hypocrites.
No matter how we feel about Pakatan Rakyat, we have to admit that they are playing the role that they need to play. And it would be no different if the roles were reversed.
Let’s imagine an alternate universe.
A corrupt Pakatan Rakyat government is terrorising our citizens. They say it is for our own good, to keep the peace. We all know that the only way they can keep in power is to manipulate the electoral process. We are outraged.
Despite our fears, our concerns, the countless dialogues we have had with the Election Commission appealing for good sense, we have not made any headway in bettering the electoral process.
And so, we take our concerns to the streets, for only two hours, and with hope that the police would not side with Pakatan Rakyat just once, and instead, do their job with fairness and decency.
The maligned Barisan Nasional, which has been struggling to fight against all odds to gain political representation, has embraced the civil society’s call to change the electoral process. They say we will support you and protect you against the Pakatan Rakyat-led police, with our Umno Youth unit.
So you see, no matter how we flip it, no matter how we intellectually dissect it to pieces, in the end it does not matter which political parties of the day support us.
And I have so much faith in our average good Malaysian that come July 9 there will be no riots similar to those in the Middle-East, as some of us fear. We proved that in 1998 when our deputy prime minister was arrested and beaten in jail, and while there was intense public outrage, more so than today, we did not burn cars or smash store windows.
Instead we took our outrage, as much as we can, through our votes, despite the grossly unfair electoral process. But now we realise, it is time to revamp the electoral system for five more years for a fairer political representation.
The Bersih 2.0 march will bring about change, whatever that brings, but we cannot fear that. The alternative is to stay unhappy, complaining, morally outraged but not doing anything significant about it until the next generation has enough of our staid complacency.
We need courage, and we need faith. We need you — the average good Malaysian — in large numbers to come down on July 9 to stand together, and say, we need a better electoral process for our country. We need a better democracy that works.
This is why we need to march.
It has been reported that private broadcasters have been warned not to support B____H. They are also told to warn the rakyat against attending the B_____H rally on 9th July 2011.
"We can't mention B____H, the 9th July date for the rally in our broadcast, but we must warn people against demonstrating. How to do that?" a senior media exec asked TMI.
Aiya, very simple. Tell them about the "Tak Kotor" Rally on 9th July 2011. Tell the rakyat not to attend the B____H rally but encourage to attend the "Tak Kotor" rally, in order to "Tak Kotor" the election commission and to allow for clean, free and fair election. No need to mention that not-to-be mentioned word and just say "Tak Kotor".
Labels: 9th July, Bersih, rally, tak kotor
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Professor Aziz Bari of Universiti Islam Antarabangsa asked which law Hishammuddin was referring to in declaring that Bersih 2.0 T-shirts are illegal. Prof Aziz says that he is not aware of any law that makes the T-shirts illegal. As our Home Minister has declared so there must be one. Just be patient and he will let the rakyat know in his good time.
Fadiah Nadwa Fikri of Lawyers for Liberty has also rejected Home Minister’s statement outright, branding it an “abuse and misuse of power”.
“There is no such law prohibiting these T-shirts,” she said. “Furthermore, these T-shirts are not linked to an illegal activity because the Federal Constitution allows the right to peaceful assembly and the constitution is higher than any other law in this country.”
But then again, don't the rakyat know that the gomen is much better at interpreting the constitution. It is obvious the Home Minister knows what he is talking about.
The polis are very good at reading the rakyat's thoughts. Even before an application for a rally is made, the polis is fully aware that it will lead to chaos and what better then to nip it in the bud before chaos takes place. Just declare that a permit will never be provided and automatically the rally which has yet to occur becomes an illegal rally. So simple and so effective, as after having decided that the rally is illegal, the next step the polis can take is to effectively round up all those Bersih people and their paraphernalia. Some says the constitution allow for free assembly of the rakyat. But then again, who knows the constitution best if not the Home Minister and his polis. So if the IGP says the rally which has yet to take place is illegal, who is the rakyat to say otherwise. For all the rakyat may know the Bersih coalition is just talking about an imaginary rally, one that is not ever going to take place as the coalition has yet to apply for a rally permit, a permit which it has said is constitutionally unnecesary. So now, we might have a virtual rally which the IGP in his wisdom has declared illegal and his acting KL polis chief has advised the rakyat to stay away on the day this virtual rally is to take place. The rakyat can be sure that the IGP and his acting KL CPO are at this very moment deciding where to place the various road blocks to thwart the virtual rally from taking place. They are going to ensure that KL downtown is locked down and not available to participants of the rally, real or virtual. These actions will result in the taxi-drivers and petty traders of KL losing their RM1 billion income. Now these petty traders and taxi-drivers know to whom they should turn to to get compensation for their loss on the day of the virtual rally.
Labels: Bersih, illegal, legal, rally
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Who would believe this, the Malaysian Home Minister has declared that a T-Shirt, the yellow Bersih 2.0 T shirt, is illegal in this land of the free. 
Now, even more serious, the Malaysian Polis Inspector-General has declared that his polis will not only arrest those wearing Bersih T-shirts but may also arrest any medium which promote the Bersih 2.0 rally. He reported mentioned shoes, cars and buses. So you know what has to be avoided these days.
Meanwhile, the traders and taxi-drivers in KL are against the Bersih 2.0 rally as they expect their earnings to drop. And so they are against the said rally. Now, our acting KL police chief Amar Singh is also against the rakyat coming to KL on that particular day. Will the traders and taxi-drivers now turn on him too?
It looks like there are plenty of things to Bersih apart from the EC.
Labels: Bersih, illegal, rally
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German theologian Martin Niemoller wrote:
First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) believes that a working democracy is built upon the foundation of clean, free and fair elections. Therefore, the role of the Election Commission (EC) in conducting elections with integrity and impartiality is crucial in the democratisation of the nation.
The electoral system of this country is marred with irregularities, electoral offences and rampant abuse of powers. As the EC has not made any marked efforts in initiating changes towards a clean and fair electoral system, BERSIH 2.0 has decided to organise a rally to intensify pressure in light of the upcoming 13th General Elections.
These are the 8 immediate demands for Perhimpunan BERSIH 2.0:
1. Clean the electoral roll
The electoral roll is marred with irregularities such as deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address or non-existent addresses. The electoral roll must be revised and updated to wipe out these ‘phantom voters’. The rakyat have a right to an electoral roll that is an accurate reflection of the voting population.
In the longer term, BERSIH 2.0 also calls for the EC to implement an automated voter registration system upon eligibility to reduce irregularities.
2. Reform postal ballot
The current postal ballot system must be reformed to ensure that all citizens of Malaysia are able to exercise their right to vote. Postal ballot should not only be open for all Malaysian citizens living abroad, but also for those within the country who cannot be physically present in their voting constituency on polling day. Police, military and civil servants too must vote normally like other voters if not on duty on polling day.
The postal ballot system must be transparent. Party agents should be allowed to monitor the entire process of postal voting.
3. Use of indelible ink
Indelible ink must be used in all elections. It is a simple, affordable and effective solution in preventing voter fraud. In 2007, the EC decided to implement the use of indelible ink. However, in the final days leading up to the 12th General Elections, the EC decided to withdraw the use of indelible ink citing legal reasons and rumours of sabotage.
BERSIH 2.0 demands for indelible ink to be used for all the upcoming elections. Failure to do so will lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is an intention to allow voter fraud.
4. Minimum 21 days campaign period
The EC should stipulate a campaign period of not less than 21 days. A longer campaign period would allow voters more time to gather information and deliberate on their choices. It will also allow candidates more time to disseminate information to rural areas. The first national elections in 1955 under the British Colonial Government had a campaign period of 42 days but the campaign period for 12th GE in 2008 was a mere 8 days.
5. Free and fair access to media
It is no secret that the Malaysian mainstream media fails to practice proportionate, fair and objective reporting for political parties of all divide. BERSIH 2.0 calls on the EC to press for all media agencies, especially state-funded media agencies such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) and Bernama to allocate proportionate and objective coverage for all potlical parties.
6. Strengthen public institutions
Public institutions must act independently and impartially in upholding the rule of law and democracy. Public institutions such as the Judiciary, Attorney-General, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), Police and the EC must be reformed to act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights.
In particular, the EC must perform its constitutional duty to act independently and impartially so as to enjoy public confidence. The EC cannot continue to claim that they have no power to act, as the law provides for sufficient powers to institute a credible electoral system.
7. Stop corruption
Corruption is a disease that has infected every aspect of Malaysian life. BERSIH 2.0 and the rakyat demand for an end to all forms of corruption. Current efforts to eradicate corruption are mere tokens to appease public grouses. We demand that serious action is taken against ALL allegations of corruption, including vote buying.
8. Stop dirty politics
Malaysians are tired of dirty politics that has been the main feature of the Malaysian political arena. We demand for all political parties and politicians to put an end to gutter politics. As citizens and voters, we are not interested in gutter politics; we are interested in policies that affect the nation.
Of late it appears that THEY are coming to stop the 09/07/2011 Rally ::
Senator, state rep arrested
Oz-based students warned against Bersih rally
Nurul Izzah Anwar, N Surendran, R Sivarasa and Fadiah Nadwa Fikri questioned
Education Malaysia Australia Sydney (Emas) Warning
National laureate probed over 'seditious poem'
Bersih under siege, pre-rally arrests reach 81
Police quiz Ambiga; Nurul Izzah, Sivarasa next
Eight arrested for wearing Bersih T-shirts
60 detained ahead of Bersih
Jeyakumar, 30 PSM members arrested over Bersih rally
Bersih supporters nabbed for waging war against King
Police thwart Bersih’s first roadshow
Do i continue to wait for that day.....
UNGGUN BERSIH
Seditious Bersih Poem?
Semakin lara kita didera bara —
kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka:
Demokrasi sebenderang mentari
sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri.
Lama resah kita — demokrasi luka;
lama duka kita — demokrasi lara.
Demokrasi yang angkuh, kita cemuhi;
suara bebas yang utuh, kita idami!
Dua abad lalu Sam Adams berseru:
(di Boston dijirus teh ke laut biru):
Tak diperlu gempita sorak yang gebu,
diperlu hanya unggun api yang syahdu.
Kini menyalalah unggun sakti itu;
kini merebaklah nyala unggun itu.
* A. Samad Said adalah Sasterawan Negara Malaysia
Labels: rally, samad, unggun bersih
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Li Na of China has won the 2011 Paris Open.
She beat Schiavone of Italy, 6-4, 7-6.
Hurray for Li Na.
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