Authorities must cease violations of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

Press Release

Malaysia: Authorities must cease violations of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression

Paris-Bangkok, 30 June 2011. The recent arrests and criminal charges against members and supporters of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), as well as the government’s refusal to grant permit for political rallies, constitute serious violations of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, said the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM).

One young Malaysian’s view on Bersih

Ken

People’s hopes are modest. No matter what race, region, religion and  class we come from, most of us believe that every child should have a genuinely good education. And those children should be able to go to college even if their parents aren’t rich.

We want to be safe from criminals. We want the assurance that the taxes we pay are spent well. We want clean air, clean water, and the ability to retire comfortably at some point.

And although we don’t expect our government to solve all our problems, and we certainly don’t like seeing our tax dollars wasted, it’s only fair to expect that government should help.

Finally, Malaysia on the cusp of a New World Order

Selena Tay

Abraham Lincoln once said ‘the only thing you have to fear is fear itself.’ How true! But then fear is also the weapon used by tyrants and dictators to force their citizens into absolute obedience and submission.

Over the course of history, man has risen against despots and the cruel yoke of tyranny. An uprising occurs when citizens feel the yoke of oppression weighing heavily upon them and upon reaching the point of no-return decide to cast aside their fears to start an uprising.

Ancient Chinese history has a long record of many uprisings. But of course, China is a very old kingdom whereas Malaysia is a young nation. Even Malaysia’s independence was borne out of negotiations although there has never been a really serious uprising in Malaysian history.

Bersih a dirty word and free and fair elections are taboo

Doug and Helen White

We have just finished a wonderful holiday in Malaysia. Except for a few things, like the toilets and the drivers, it was great. The people are friendly and helpful. The food is quite exciting and the country is spectacular.

There was one incident, which caused us no concern and no problem, but left us more than a little baffled. We were in the Chow Kit area buying some things to take home when we found some shirts with “BERSIH 2” on them. We asked the man what the word meant and he said “clean”.

So, we bought some. They were good quality and cheap. As we were leaving the stall area we were approached by a man who warned us not to wear the shirts or we would be in trouble with the police. We went back to our hotel thinking that we misheard the man at the stall who sold us the shirts and that bersih must be a very dirty word. So we asked the concierge and he told us it meant “clean”. So we were confused.

SALAM BERSIH!

Katrina J Maliamauv

When I first read the “traders/businesspersons association” (or whatever the fancy name is) call on the Bersih 2.0 organizers to call-off the rally because it might get unruly and disrupt their business, I was shocked, for two reasons.

Firstly, it appeared that these poor, naive souls were under the impression that it was the BERSIH 2.0 organizers that fired water cannons, launched tear gas, and beat people up with batons.

No wonder they were so terrified – wouldn’t you be, if you thought the upholders of law, and defenders of rights and champions of democracy, and fervent believers in our Federal Constitution actually drove big, frightening tanks and shot stinging rounds of water bombs on ordinary citizens, or raised their arms and thwacked down with all their might at those peacefully walking for fundamental liberties?

It sounds terrifying! Nobody would want that happening!

The eagles are landing: Citizens must speak out against Umno madness

J. D. Lovrenciear

No, it is not some invasion by nature owing to drastic changes in climatic conditions. No, it is not the US air defense descending on Malaysia. It is not even the motivating challenges to dare to excel in your professional, business and personal lives – like the programs corporate leaders promote to their employees.

Far from it, it is about your very basic right to a democratic life and times supported by civil liberties that are pursued by the sensible governments the world over that is now seriously under threat in Malaysia.

Two new incidents in particular refer and could very well be the tip of an iceberg.

Anwar warns nation to brace for pre-emptive arrests as Najib fights for power

Stan Lee

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim warned the nation to brace for pre-emptive arrests ahead of the July 9 Bersih rally, saying that the BN federal government would resort to all ways and means to cling to power.

“Corrupt and wicked leaders will use whatever excuse to maintain their grip on power,” Anwar, who is also the PKR de-facto head, told reporters after lodging his statement at the Dangi Wangi police station this afternoon.

Indeed, this has been the concern rising amongst the country’s civil society leaders who fear Prime Minister Najib Razak might take a wrong step and plunge the country into a new economic crisis by reverting to hardline and emergency rule.

Allow July 9 rallies, Suhakam tells Putrajaya

Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

Police prepare to fire tear gas at Bersih demonstrators, November 10, 2007. — Reuters pic

The Najib administration should allow Bersih 2.0, Perkasa and Umno Youth to exercise their constitutional rights to hold their respective rallies on July 9, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) said today.

The government commission said that the rights of these groups to assemble and express their views were guaranteed under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, as well as Article 20(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), of which Malaysia is a signatory.

Bersih says will march on without permit

Debra Chong

Ambiga waves as she arrives at the Dang Wangi police station for questioning, June 27, 2011.

Despite being hauled up for police questioning today, Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan insists the July 9 march for electoral reforms will continue as planned.

The prominent lawyer said she will also not apply for a police permit to hold the street demonstration as the home minister and the police have made it clear one will not be issued.

She then slammed the authorities for hauling up civil society members campaigning for electoral reform instead of engaging them.

Behave! Wong warns DAP assemblymen

Joseph Tawie

DAP’s “coffee-shop talk” may have been palatable to the voters but it is “demeaning” in the August premises of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, says Bawang Assan rep Wong Soon Koh.

The opposition at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) once again received a tongue lashing from Barisan Nasional for their lack of decorum and for making “so many outrageous, provocative, antagonistic and misleading” statements.

Second Finance Minister Wong Soon Koh, who reiterated his earlier stern warning especially to DAP said: “We welcome criticisms but they (DAP) must criticise with the factual knowledge and not with so many make-believe stories and so many lies.

Bishop calls for an end to Christian bashing

Terence Netto

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing today denounced the latest instance of what he called “Christian bashing” following reports inUtusan Malaysia alleging funding for the Bersih 2.0 march by foreign Christian organisations.The Bishop of the Melaka-Johor diocese who is concurrently president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Malaysia, said the Malay daily “appears to have a licence to publish unsubstantiated and wild allegations aimed at fomenting discord between Christians and Muslims in Malaysia.”

In an article in yesterday’s edition of the paper, the Utusan had claimed that millions of ringgit were being funneled from some 11 foreign Christian organisations to fund the Bersih march planned for July 9 to push for electoral reform.

Sibu council promises road for longhouse folk

Joseph Tawie

Rustic Dudong constituency in Sibu which was under BN patronage for 20 years is teeming with problems of neglect, according to its newly elected DAP rep.

For the last 20 years children from four longhouses in the interior of Dudong constituency in Sibu have been rising at 4am daily and trudging through the jungle and crossing streams to reach the Nanga Pak primary school just before daybreak.

Sometimes the heavy rains cut them off completely from their families and the students are forced to stay overnight with the teachers.

‘Mischief makers expected in Bersih crowd’

Patrick Lee

Agent provocateurs will be out to ‘create havoc’ to give Bersih a bad name, says Nurul Izzah.

Agent provocateurs can be expected to cause trouble when the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) goes to march on July 9, PKR warned.

This, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said, would cause the authorities to ultimately put the blame on Bersih if street demonstrations were to go awry.

“There’ll be agent provocateurs on that day, bent to create havoc and they will use it to blame Bersih,” she told reporters in Parliament today.

A campaign of courage

Stanley Koh

Our writer argues that all conscientious Malaysians, including BN component parties, should support the Bersih rally because they deserve a capable government.

Why is the rally for electoral reforms such a political hot potato? Why this gush of threats and calls for the punishment of the Bersih rally organisers? Why is the Barisan Nasioanl hegemony so fearful of electoral reforms? Why shouldn’t it support free, fair and clean elections?

Bertrand Russell once propounded the theory that bad leadership in a democracy is a logical impossibility. “The electorate always get the leaders they deserve. No matter how incompetent or venal the leaders are, the electorate must have been even worse to have elected them.”

IMAGINE SARAWAK IN 20 YEARS FROM NOW

Pak Bui

The average age of a Malaysian is strikingly young, around 26. By comparison, the average age of the federal cabinet is about 59. It is
probably 89 for the state cabinet, similar to their average IQ.

Most of you reading this are older than 26. You may not be around in 20 years from now. Even so, I invite you to come along with me on a flight of fancy.

Where will Sarawak be in two decades from now?

One imaginary, alternative future is laid out below.

SARAWAK IN 2031

PM lashes out at ‘power-hungry’ mastermind

- Bernama

Najib points finger at PKR’s Anwar as the mastermind behind the planned illegal rally and urged him to “get his act together”.

The street demonstrations planned for July 9 are actually hatched by people who cannot wait to be in power and not because elections in the country are not clean, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“If we could manipulate elections, all the states would be ruled by the Barisan Nasional (BN). We are not people who manipulate elections.

“We do not want to be in power without the support of the people. That is Barisan Nasional,” he said when opening the People’s Progressive Party’s  58th general assembly here today.

For PAS, Bersih rally catalyst to lead Malay vote

Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

PAS’s foray in the July 9 Bersih rally could result in the party cementing a firm leadership position in uniting rural and urban Malays, as analysts believe that more and more Malay support is gravitating towards the Islamist party.

They also believe that rival Malay party Umno has underestimated the anger and dissatisfaction of voters with the present ruling administration, predicting that this would translate in stronger support for the upcoming electoral reforms march.

Will wearing Che Guevara T-shirts lead to arrests too, Bar Council asks

Melissa Chi

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee has mocked the police investigation of 30 Bersih activists for allegedly trying to revive communism, pointing out last night that their arrests could spell danger as well for anyone wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and listening to the Sex Pistols.

“The arrest and remand for seven days of 30 individuals (including two juveniles in their teens), apparently for having in their possession certain paraphernalia including T-shirts with images of former communist leaders, for waging war against the King is a reflection of such a clampdown.

BN’s patriot games but who are the real enemies of the State

Selena Tay

14th July 1789 is the date of the storming of the Bastille, the great event that was the signal of the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille is a medieval fortress and prison symbolising royal authority and it was located in the centre of Paris.

At that material time, France was facing a major economic crisis exacerbated by a regressive system of taxation. The storming of the Bastille was the spark that lit the French Revolution with its famous slogan of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

Who do Malaysians need: Captain Malaysia or Captain Malay

Selena Tay

The Marvel comic book superhero, Captain America is one of the most popular American icons.

He is the honest-to-goodness typical American-guy-next-door with noble values such as standing up for the underdog, fighting for truth and justice and fighting against tyranny and oppression.  He was given the powers of speed and super agility to fight against the bad guys of his time, i.e. the Nazis.  And the trailer for this movie is pretty good too!

As for Malaysia, we need a superhero as well, namely, (drum-roll please), Captain Malaysia, defender of truth and justice and with the same noble values as Captain America too.  We need an icon who can make the great Malaysian dream come true.

Walk with the rakyat, not against us, Bersih tells Najib

- Bersih 2.0 

Bersih 2.0 told Datuk Seri Najib Razak today the next two weeks leading to its July 9 rally will define his leadership, saying any further crackdown is a “tragic reflection of the failure” of his government in handling the issue.

The group also said it was disappointed in the prime minister’s declaration that Bersih 2.0 supporters are to be held responsible should chaos ensue during the July 9 rally, noting that it was against any form of violence.

“We once again make an open, sincere and heartfelt call to the prime minister to walk with the rakyat, not against us,” Bersih 2.0 said in a statement issued tonight.

Observations Of A Civic Minded Citizen While Watching Sarawak DUN Sittings From The Public Gallery

Civic Minded Citizen

Last week I exercised my duty as a concerned public citizen and went to watch sittings of the DUN. I managed to observe how the Government Bench and most of the Opposition Bench carried themselves. It was disgraceful and appalling, to say the least.

The BN back-benchers, and even some front-benchers (Ministers included), were heckling the Opposition and calling them names. I am not surprised because many BN back-benchers are not highly educated. We would be hard-pressed to expect them to understand the dignity of their office. However, to see Ministers shouting across the room is an eye-opener. These men and women are supposed to run the state and yet they indulge in shouting matches like school children? Now I understand why our state-run ministries are sub-standard.

Silly and absurd to object Bersih rally

 R Kengadharan

Malaysians of all walks of life regardless of race, religion and political believe must look at the core matter of clean and fair elections.

In July 2005, Bersih started out as the Joint Action Committee for Electoral Reforms. The primary objective of the coalition was to push for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia.

Bersih is of the view that “only when elections are clean and fair, can citzens be real masters of their own destiny and expect holders of public office to act accountably and effectively”.

Tell me what’s wrong with this objective? Is this objective laced with a sinister motive or could it undermine our peculiar cradle of democracy in any way?

Problem with BN, not Bersih

Jeswan Kaur

Is the rakyat supposed to remain silent while BN engages in filthy and corrupt practices, all for the sake of filling its pockets?

For so many years, the election process in Malaysia never escaped tampering by the ‘powers that be’, until the year 2008 which gave the ruling government of Barisan Nasional a rude jolt.

Now, three years later and still reeling from the fear of losing a bigger share of the nation to the opposition come the next general election, the BN government has decided to muzzle even the slightest of murmur calling for a just electoral system.

M’sia a quasi-police state ahead of July 9 rally

Terence Netto

The police have now overtaken Ibrahim Ali in turning support for the Bersih 2.0 march into a going concern among citizens.

Repressive measures they have taken in the past few days are set to make the planned march the object of national attention.

That dove

tails nicely with what the march’s organisers had in mind when they set out to publicise it weeks ago.

At that point, the organisers had doubts as to whether the second edition of this event, first staged in November 2007, would be the success the inaugural one resoundingly was.

Snap to compile evidence of phantom voters

Joseph Tawie

The party’s president says that in certain cases phantom voters had been included in the electoral roll with the knowledge of the EC.

Sarawak National Party (Snap) has set up a committee to collect information from voters and members on phantom voters who were said to be very rampant in the recently concluded state election.

Speaking to FMT, its president Edwin Dundang said: “Snap is very concerned with these new phenomena of phantom voters because they make a mockery of democratic process.

It’s not Ops Lalang 2.0 that’s needed but Ops Big Cleanup

Selena Tay

In the old days, Chinese mothers used to tell their children not to play in a certain place due to the place being la-char which in Cantonese means ‘dirty’. The word ‘dirty’ here does not refer to the place being a garbage dump, but rather it refers to the place being haunted by ghosts.

‘La-char’ can also be used to describe the Malaysian electoral rolls as these rolls are filled with the names of phantom voters or ghosties.

PAS party workers have discovered at least 71,000 phantom voters in Selangor, 62,000 in Kedah and more than 50,000 in Perak. This shows that the electoral rolls are very dirty indeed. And these are just the phantoms detected. What about the undetected ones?

MACC told to probe Taib’s HK connection

. Malaysiakini

Whistleblower website Sarawak Report has suggested that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigate Abdul Taib Mahmud family’s Hong Kong connection which could shed light on their immense wealth.

“…Delving into these business concerns (in Hong Kong) will throw up some intriguing coincidences, as Sarawak Report’s own researches can already demonstrate.

“We can also demonstrate how a number of Taib-linked companies are now owned or being managed out of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) by one of the Philippine’s top bankers Franciso C Sebastian, who started his career as a financial advisor in Hong Kong. 

Bersih denies it’s anti-govt

Teoh El Sen

… if the government is for free and fair elections, says Haris Ibrahim in FMT RAW’s maiden broadcast

A Bersih 2.0 leader today sought to correct a misconception that the movement is anti-government.

“If the government stands for free and fair elections, then we are not anti-government,” said Haris Ibrahim, who sits on the steering committee of Bersih 2.0.

“But if the government is going to stand in the way of free and fair elections, we are against anyone who is against free and fair elections.”

M’sian diaspora marches with Bersih: What TalentCorp failed to do

Maclean Patrick

What began as a march to gather Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur to march for fair and free elections has now turned into a march of international proportions.

Never in the wildest thoughts of Bersih organising chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan did she ever imagine that Bersih 2.0 would go global, involving Malaysians in Korea, Japan, Australia and the US.

Sister marches have now been planned and will run concurrently with the one in Kuala Lumpur giving the Bersih 2.0 worldwide attention to the sad plight of elections in Malaysia.

FUNNY BUSINESS IN HONG KONG

. Sarawak Report 

Sarawak’s timber has been shipped out over the past 30 years – has the money been shipped in to Taib-linked bank accounts?

MACC Investigators have a headache in store for them when they turn to Hong Kong, such is the tangled web of Taib family shareholdings.

However, delving into these business concerns will throw up some intriguing coincidences, as Sarawak Report’s own researches can already demonstrate.

We can also demonstrate how a number of Taib-linked companies are now owned or being managed out of the BVI by one of the Philippine’s top bankers Franciso C Sebastian, who started his career as a Financial Advisor in Hong Kong.  We suggest that investigations in Hong Kong hold the key to tracing the early development of Taib’s international web of global investments as the profits from felling Sarawak’s rainforests escaped abroad.

Taib changes definition of ‘native’ after NCR defeat

Keruah Usit

Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has responded to humiliating setbacks in Native Customary Rights (NCR) lawsuits by forcing through a motion in the state assembly to change the definition of ‘native’.

Yesterday, the first sitting of the state legislature passed the Land Custody and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2011, despite resistance from Pakatan Rakyat members, in order to lubricate joint-venture deals to take over NCR land.

According to the amended law, any party entering a joint-venture plantation deal with the state-owned LCDA will be designated a ‘native’.

Mixed marriages: Give kids ‘bumi’ status

Joseph Tawie

PKR wants the state government to initiate a move to amend the state and federal constitutions to ensure children of mixed marriages in Sarawak be recognised as natives or bumiputera.

Sarawak PKR has called on the state government to initiate a move to amend the state and federal constitutions to ensure the offspring of mixed marriages in Sarawak be recognised as natives or bumiputera.

PKR elected representative for Ba’Kelalan Baru Bian said that when children of mixed marriages are not recognised as bumiputera, they are denied the privileges that come with the status.

Ambiga: Bersih rally will go on

Stephanie Sta Maria

A death threat has done little to dent Bersih’s commitment to rally for clean and fair elections.

Organisers and supporters of the Bersih 2.0 rally are standing their ground despite receiving death threats via text message last night.

The message warned that Bersih chairperson, Ambiga Sreenevasan, and those connected to her would be killed if the rally proceeded as planned on July 9.

After lodging a police report at the Travers police station at 12pm today, a calm Ambiga confirmed that “Walk For Democracy” would continue as scheduled.

Fearing cover-up, Zuraida wants inquest into death of Sarawak rape victim

Stan Lee

Suspecting high-level intervention and cover-up, PKR Women’s chief Zuraida Kamaruddin has called for an inquest into the mysterious death of a 15-year-old rape victim, who was treated at a Sarawak hospital.

“Wanita Keadilan Sarawak calls for an inquest into the death of the girl and seeks out the culprit behind the rape. Who raped her? Why was the girl’s body exhumed? Or are there any other reasons behind the whole mystery?” Zuraida said in a statement out on Friday.

No post-mortem, no rape report

According to Zuraida, her wing has been following the baffling case for the past week. They have been to see a couple of authorities to check into the details of the case. One of these was Deputy Director of the Sarawak General Hospital, Dr Junaidi Diki.