Who does Anwar think he is? BERSIH is an independent movement for free elections...

Who does Anwar think he is? Does he think that BERSIH is an opposition entity that will obediently listen to him? I do not think so - I do not hope so. Like Najib, Anwar can tell - but I do not believe that BERSIH or the Malaysian people will ever stop calling for a free and fair elections in Malaysia.

BERSIH is a peoples' movement, independent of political parties, fighting for free and fair elections in Malaysia, and any person including those in BN or Pakatan Rakyat or other political parties, should come out in support of a call for free and fair elections. People should not be participating in BERSIH's activities for a free and fair elections because their political party or organization told them to but because they as individual Malaysians believe in the cause and want to personally. Political parties can express support for BERSIH - but not force members to go and support. The choice is and must be an individual Malaysian's choice.

There is much reforms that are needed. 

1- Constituencies need to be re-defined, so that there will be no more constituencies that have 100,000 over voters and others having tens of thousands only. This really is, I believe, an against the constitutional guarantee of equality of persons in Malaysia. If a constituency of 50,000 has a right to vote in 1 MP, then a constituency of 100,000 should rightfully have the right to vote in 2 MPs. Certain differences are permissible - but the difference in numbers in voters per constituencies must be not more than 10,000 in my opinion. 

2 - Those parties in government must certainly stop using government officers, departments and resources during election campaigns. Taking the recent Kuala Krau by elections, I do not see why certain Ministries and government officers suddenly had to come open new temporary officers and work in the area for a month or two in the area when elections were called. This certainly must stop, and it was a waste of the people's money. Government money must not be used for campaigning...Use your own money, your political party money, your friends and donors money - but never the government's money, which is the peoples' money.

3 - The period between nomination days and voting must increase, and Malaysian voters overseas and in other states from a particular constituency must be allowed to vote. This was the real intention of postal ballots but today it is only for those who will be working during polling day as Election Commission officers, police and military personnel in the constituencies. With regard to military personnel, one must realize that many of regiments and divisions in Peninsular Malaysia are from Sabah and Sarawak, and rightfully they and their families should be given the right to vote in the constituencies where they choose to be registered as voters. Many would have preferred to vote in the recent Sarawak State elections but were deprived that right. For true postal voting to be effective, the period between nomination and polling must be longer - it takes time to print ballot papers, send them to the registered voter overseas and elsewhere, for them to vote, send back the ballot papers, etc - maybe 30 days would be best.

4 - The need to get police permits for election campaign periods need to be abolished. The requirement may be to just to inform the police - and not get permission from the police. 

5 - Reports of election offences must all be investigated, even after the polling date, and action taken against those who committed them - charge them, try them, if guilty convict and sentence them. Election Petitions is only bothered whether the allegations involves sufficient numbers to affect the final outcome of the election in a particular constituency. EC must be seen to act on all complaints.

I am sure BERSIH would have much more points about what we need to ensure truly free and fair elections in Malaysia.

Anwar: I'll tell Ambiga to call off Bersih rally if...

Hazlan Zakaria
Jun 19, 11

 

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said that he would tell Bersih 2.0 chairperson S Ambiga to call off the July 9 rally if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak can assure tomorrow that elections will be free and fair.

"I will call Ambiga and tell her to call off Bersih, if Najib can promise free and fair elections tomorrow," he told over 2,000 PKR members at the party's election convention in Shah Alam today.

Anwar (left) said this in his concluding speech at the convention, that aimed to educate and energise the party's grassroots election machinery who were mostly present at the event.

The Permatang Pauh MP was trying to make a point, arguing that the BN regime will not dare to allow free and fair elections because the ruling coalition knows that it no longer has the favour of the voters and thus has to resort to dirty means to cling on to power.

Former Bar Council chief Ambiga was however not amused, and in an immediate response ticked Anwar off for overstepping his role.

"It is not up to him to decide,” the activist quipped.

“We have decided to hold the rally and it is we who will decide on whether or not to hold it," she told reporters prior to the official launch of the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur tonight.

Ambiga: 'It's not about me'

Ambiga also refuted right-wing pressure group Perkasa's allegations made in the latter's launch of their anti-Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur earlier today.

"Bersih is not about the individual; it is not about me. I will not respond to their character attacks," she said.

The lawyer added that she will neither respond to Perkasa nor lodge police reports on the group burning her photo and making threats against her during their event.

"Free and fair elections is our message, and our means is peaceful. If there is violence on that day it will not be from our side," assured the Bersih chief.

The Berish 2.0 coalition for free and fair elections comprising over 60 NGOs and political parties is planning a mega rally on July 9 to press for electoral reform.

The organisers aim the event to be even bigger than the first Bersih rally in November 2007, that saw 40,000 turning Kuala Lumpur into a sea of yellow shirted protestors demanding changes to the electoral system that critics say is favouring the ruling party.- Malaysiakini, 20/6/2011, Anwar: I'll tell Ambiga to call off Bersih rally if...