Anwar Ibrahim |
- Malaysia Cracks Down On Protesters
- Electoral Reform Fight Continues
- Perhimpunan Global BERSIH 30 Negara
- Peserta Bersih Meninggal Dunia Ketika Hambatan Polis di KLCC
- Malaysia’s Anwar Injured In Rally: Aide
- 1,000 Arrested In Malaysia Democracy Protest
- Malaysia Braces For Pro-Democracy Street Protests In Kuala Lumpur
- 2pm, July 9th,Stadium Merdeka : Malaysia’s Moment of Truth
| Malaysia Cracks Down On Protesters Posted: 09 Jul 2011 07:06 AM PDT Police in Malaysia have fired tear gas and arrested hundreds of protesters in the biggest opposition-backed rally in years. More than 20,000 demonstrators massed across Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, demanding electoral reforms, activists said. The federal police force have arrested 1,400 people in a clampdown called Operation Erase Bersih, referring to the Bersih coalition, the group that organised the rally. Those arrested included several senior opposition officials. “The public is reminded not to be involved in any demonstration,” the federal police force said in a statement and warned of “stern action … against those who disobey”. Witnesses said riot police armed with batons charged at some protesters and dragged them into trucks. Numerous restaurants and stores were closed because of the transportation disruptions and fears of violence. The government had declared the demonstration illegal, and police had sealed off parts of the capital in advance. Strict security measures Authorities took extraordinary security measures to deter the rally by closing train stations and deploying lorries mounted with water cannons near the Independence Stadium in a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, where activists sought to gather. Nevertheless, thousands tried to reach the stadium from various parts of the capital, chanting “Long live the people” and carrying yellow balloons and flowers as they marched. Police fired numerous rounds of tear gas and chemical-laced water in repeated attempts to disperse the crowds, causing demonstrators to scatter into nearby buildings. Helicopters flew overhead as a brief downpour failed to deter the protesters. Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, said on Twitter that he sustained a “minor injury” when his group was hit by tear gas. Government officials accuse Anwar’s three-party alliance of endorsing the rally to cause chaos on the streets and undermine the National Front, the federal ruling coalition. Electoral reforms The rally organisers called for reforms following accusations that the Malaysian election commission is biased towards the ruling coalition, which has been in power since independence from Britain in 1957. The commission denies the charge. The government insists the current electoral policies are evenhanded. Over the past two weeks, more than 200 other activists have been arrested nationwide for trying to promote the rally. Earlier, speaking to Al Jazeera over phone from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Edmund Bon, a human-rights lawyer, said: “It’s an extraordinary clampdown on the whole [city] and we are not allowed to go anywhere. “People are getting arrested on the streets and about 250 to 300 people have been arrested so far in connection with the rally." The activists’ demands include an overhaul of voter registration lists, tougher measures to curb fraud and fairer opportunities for opposition politicians to campaign in government-linked media. A general election is not due until 2013 but Najib Razak, the prime minister, has not ruled out early polls, after economic growth accelerated to a 10-year high in 2010. Major street demonstrations are rare in this Southeast Asian country, but the rise of alternative media channels and a growing opposition voice are gradually creating a more vocal Malaysian public.
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| Electoral Reform Fight Continues Posted: 09 Jul 2011 06:46 AM PDT Speaking from his hospital bed with a neck brace, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim vowed the fight for electoral reform will continue, beyond today's Bersih 2.0 rally. The opposition leader, who spoke to reporters at the Pantai Hospital here, suffered minor head and leg injuries sustained during the rally and will be staying the night in hospital for further observation. "We did discuss prior to this, with many of our friends including Ambiga, Uztaz Hadi, being arrested, that this has to go on. This is not the end of our demand," Anwar (picture) said. It was reported that about 50,000 supporters showed up for today's rally although the police said only 6,000 turned up. There were 1,401 arrests made, and police said everyone would be released by tonight. "What is clear is that the Umno-led government refused to acknowledge the fact that more Malaysians are ready to exercise their right to vote in a clean and fair election. "Not withstanding this, you can see the will of the people, with resolve, their commitment and we have seen many demonstrations in the past but we have never seen, for example, the Malays, Chinese, Indians in large numbers. So the attempt by Umno to try and create this as a racial or anti-Malay expression or anti-Muslim, or whatever, I think falls flat," he said. Anwar also accused the police of using "high-handed tactics, brutal measures". "The whole city was basically under curfew from last night and that shows the level of desperation on the part of the authorities. "I am very optimistic with the outcome but not too optimistic with the fact that Umno would respond to these demands kindly despite the fact that Tuanku Agong has called for negotiations and to take the heat off the legitimate expressions and concerns," he said. Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who was released by police at 6.30 this evening, also declared that Malaysians had shown courage in the face of government intimidation. She said the "amazing" turnout was a sign that "we do not want to be bullied anymore. Rough intimidation does not work anymore." The government had declared the movement illegal less than 10 days before today's march. It also told the coalition of 62 NGOs on Thursday to move its gathering outside Kuala Lumpur despite Bersih already accepting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's offer to move its street rally to a stadium. |
| Perhimpunan Global BERSIH 30 Negara Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:53 AM PDT Ketika polis mengawal ketat Kuala Lumpur, rakyat Malaysia di seluruh dunia mengadakan perhimpunan masing-masing menyokong tuntutan BERSIH untuk pilihan raya yang bebas dan adil.
Di Melbourne, Australia, peserta perhimpunan di Federal Square Perhimpunan itu bermula kira-kira jam 9 pagi waktu tempatan dengan kira-kira 30 orang membawa plakad menyokong pilihan raya bebas dan adil serta menyanyikan lagu ‘Negara Ku’. Menjelang tengah hari, semakin ramai menyertai perhimpunan tersebut, dengan topeng Ambiga diedarkan untuk dipakai oleh para peserta.
Semasa di Perth, Australia, 150 rakyat Malaysia dilaporkan berkumpul Di Adelaide, kira-kira 150 orang menyertai perhimpunan menyokong BERSIH di bandar tersebut. Sementara itu di New Zealand, perhimpunan dilaporkan bermula di Christchurch, di Universiti Canterbury sekitar jam 10.30 pagi waktu tempatan. Di Seoul, kira-kira 30 rakyat Malaysia mengadakan perhimpunan itu
Memakai baju-T kuning, mereka – kebanyakannya pelajar Malaysia dan pekerja yang tinggal di ibu negara Korea Selatan itu – membawa kain rentang dan bergilir-gilir menyampaikan ucapan menuntut pembaharuan pilihan raya di Malaysia. |
| Peserta Bersih Meninggal Dunia Ketika Hambatan Polis di KLCC Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:44 AM PDT Seorang peserta Bersih, Baharuddin Ahmad, 59 meninggal dunia setelah terjatuh di perkarangan KLCC pada perhimpunan aman yang dianjurkan hari ini. Allahyarham merupakan suami kepada Ketua Wanita KEADILAN Setiawangsa, Rusni Malan. Beliau dikatakan rebah akibat sesak nafas, ketika hambatan pasukan polis yang melepaskan semburan gas pemedih mata ke arah peserta Bersih yang berhimpun di kawasan itu. Timbalan Pengerusi KEADILAN Wilayah, Zahir Husin berkata allahyarham kemudian dikejar ke Hospital Kuala Lumpur sebelum disahkan meninggal dunia. |
| Malaysia’s Anwar Injured In Rally: Aide Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:41 AM PDT Records By Reuters Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim suffered a bruise on his head and a cut on his leg Saturday after police fired tear gas on protesters demanding poll reform ahead of general elections. Anwar was brought to the Pantai Hospital in an ambulance along with his bodyguard who was also injured, an aide told AFP. A. Xavier Jayakumar, a legislator allied with Anwar’s party, said he and other opposition leaders together with hundreds of protesters were gathered at a train station in the capital Kuala Lumpur when police fired tear gas. “There was panic… Anwar fell down and hit his head against the concrete pavement,” Jayakumar said at the hospital. “People also stepped on his leg. He sustained a bruise to his head and a cut on his left leg,” he added. “Anwar is very shaken up because of the fall and because of the gas.” Malaysia’s national police chief Ismail Omar said 1,401 people had been arrested, although Anwar was not one of them. Jayakumar said Anwar was “OK” although doctors want him to stay overnight so that they can monitor his condition. The injured bodyguard however had to undergo minor surgery after he was hit in the left eye by a tear gas canister, another Anwar supporter said. - AFP/ir |
| 1,000 Arrested In Malaysia Democracy Protest Posted: 09 Jul 2011 05:38 AM PDT Malaysian police fired tear gas and water cannon and made almost 1,000 arrests on Saturday during clashes with protesters who defied government warnings to rally in the capital for electoral reform. Leaders of opposition parties were among those detained during a massive security operation but it failed to thwart the outlawed demonstration which saw 50,000 citizens take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, according to organisers. Protesters faced baton-wielding riot officers in front of a downtown bus station, retreating at times and regrouping to push back police lines in a cat-and-mouse confrontation that took place in a downpour. Some of the demonstrators fought back by picking up tear gas canisters which they lobbed at police, reporters said. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was injured during the protest when he fell onto the pavement after a tear gas attack and was taken to a hospital as he was feeling unwell, an aide said. The protesters dissolved into three main groups, and by late afternoon all were trying to force their way through a tight police cordon to a stadium and then to the king’s palace to hand over a memorandum detailing their demands. The police line, however, held firm. “Why is the government trying to intimidate citizens?” said Mohamad Manij Abdullah, 50, a businessman who joined the rally. “We are only trying to reform elections and have a free and fair government,” he said. An official police Facebook page said 924 people were detained and they included Ambiga Sreenivasan and Maria Chin Abdullah, the two top leaders of Bersih, the broad coalition that organised the protest. “Ambiga and myself have been arrested,” Maria Chin told this news agency as she was being transported in a police van to an unknown location. Abdul Hadi Awang, president of the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS), the country’s largest Islamic opposition grouping, was also arrested. The protesters rallied in several areas of the city but later began to disperse, said Subramaniam Pillay, one of the organisers, who described the day as “a great success”. Student Chew Ai Nee, 30, said: “We have to take to the streets because we have not been given any opportunity to express our demands for change… the government cannot silence us when we march.” Many of the protesters were shouting “Reformasi!” (Reforms), “God is great” and “Long Live the People.” However, Mukhriz Mahathir, a leading member of the powerful United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), said the government had to act to prevent anarchy. “We cannot allow a minority group to protest and stir trouble in the country,” he said, accusing protesters of provoking the police into firing tear gas “so that they can accuse the government of being heavy handed.” UMNO is the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Razak. New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced the arrests. “This is a maelstrom of the Malaysian authorities’ own making,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director for HRW’s Asia Division. Downtown Kuala Lumpur, normally a hive of activity on weekends, was deserted as major roads into the commercial and tourist district were sealed off. Meanwhile, about 30 Malaysians living in South Korea rallied in Seoul in support, with another 80 marching through central Hong Kong. Organisers had called for solidarity walks and demonstrations in countries including Australia, Cambodia, Japan, the United States and Taiwan. The demonstrators want reforms, including the eradication of vote buying and the prevention of irregularities such as people illegally voting several times during elections. Bersih wants to see the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, equal access to the media for all parties and the cleaning-up of electoral rolls. Malaysia’s opposition made major gains in 2008 elections against the ruling coalition but said they could have won more if voting rules were fair. The country’s next elections are widely expected to be called early next year, with the opposition aiming to end Barisan’s half century rule. |
| Malaysia Braces For Pro-Democracy Street Protests In Kuala Lumpur Posted: 08 Jul 2011 09:46 AM PDT Tensions mount as hundreds of thousands of activists expected in capital for Arab spring-style rally against ‘dirty politics’ Malaysia is bracing for an Arab spring-style stand-off on Saturday, when activists angry at “dirty politics” are expected to rally in Kuala Lumpur despite draconian government efforts to nip the movement in the bud. Tensions have mounted in this normally staid state, often called “Moderate Malaysia”, after a group of 62 non-governmental organisations known locally as Bersih 2.0 proposed a peaceful protest, dubbed the “Walk for Democracy”, against alleged vote-rigging and other electoral abuses in a recent state election. But the government last week declared Bersih – which means “clean” in Malay – illegal, and has warned that anyone wearing the yellow colours of protest will be detained. It has already arrested more than 200 supporters and organisers on charges ranging from the promotion of “illegal assembly” to “waging war against the king”. Some are being held for an indefinite period without trial. Although Malaysia’s next general election is not until 2013, polls could take place as soon as this year – with many speculating that the incumbent Barisan Nasional (National Front) may not fare so well. Headed by the prime minister, Najib Razak, Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia since 1955. It suffered a major setback in 2008 when it lost more than one-third of its parliamentary seats to Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance), a coalition of opposition parties. Despite government accusations that they are actively threatening national security, Bersih’s leaders have been adamant that they are pushing solely for electoral changes. “We are calling for a government through free and fair elections, not street demonstrations” like in Egypt or Libya, said Bersih’s chairwoman, Ambiga Sreenevasan. After calling Bersih illegal, the government assented to a rally in a stadium. Opposition groups expect as many as 300,000 supporters to turn out. Police, however, have refused to grant Bersih a permit for the rally – a requirement for any gathering of five or more people – and have said they will work with the army to disperse Saturday’s crowds. Earlier this week police held a military exercise in which soldiers held up banners reading “Disperse or we will shoot”. Najib threw his endorsement behind local silat – or martial arts – groups, including one that has openly vowed to “wage war” against Bersih. “If there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from without and within,” Najib said this week, “you, my brothers, will rise to fight them”. Bersih organisers say they have received death, bomb and gang-rape threats in recent weeks, which they claim police have not investigated. “It has been challenging personally,” said Ambiga. Nonetheless, Bersih “understand our responsibility in holding the line on behalf of all of you who want nothing more than a clean electoral system and a better Malaysia.” While no one is entirely sure what to expect on Saturday, the lead-up has already caused mayhem. Extensive roadblocks have caused near standstills in Kuala Lumpur and many businesses will be closing. Widespread mobile phone and internet disruption is expected. Despite it being a supposedly peaceful protest, many are expecting violence. “This is the formula now, all around the world – in Libya, Egypt, it’s all the same – there will be violence,” said Mohamed Rayak, 32, a hotel manager. “But no one knows if it will be coming from the government or the opposition. If it’s from the government, then they can say it all got out of hand, and [the rally] has to be stopped.” Thousands of supporters have aired their views on Facebook and Twitter, with many of them, such as Thomas Chai, tweeting directly to the prime minister. “Beneath this YELLOW there is an idea, Mr Najib, and ideas are bulletproof,” he wrote. Bersih supporters in other parts of the world are expected to hold similar rallies on Saturday in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, the US, Canada and the UK. |
| 2pm, July 9th,Stadium Merdeka : Malaysia’s Moment of Truth Posted: 08 Jul 2011 07:59 AM PDT From http://bersih.org/?p=4346 Malaysians from all walks of life have travelled a very long road to reach this defining point in our nation's history. With less than 24 hours to our intended peaceful gathering, our resolve to walk the last, most difficult mile as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections and a better Malaysia for all is firmer than ever. Our reason for gathering is pure and simple – to demand the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped. The authorities have put obstacle after obstacle where they only needed to provide sincere cooperation to win the trust and confidence of the people. Having faced half hearted offers of stadiums, arrogance regarding meetings as well as denials of permits, arrests, detentions and so much more, we feel that we have done all that is humanly possible to demonstrate sincerity and good faith in dealing with the government – but we have only been met with reversed decisions and stone walls. There are no walls however, that will arrest the advance of the cause of peace and justice. Come the 9th of July, we will uphold our constitutional right to converge peacefully on Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. No government agency has any right whatsoever to prevent Malaysians from exercising their freedom of movement and access to our capital city. No threat or intimidation can overturn this fundamental truth. Malaysians have now seen for themselves the degree of paranoia and lack of principled leadership that seems to have gripped the government. It is thus all the more imperative that patriotic Malaysians rise now and take this stand together to save Malaysia from slipping further into this insane darkness. Since the beginning of Bersih 2.0, we have witnessed nothing but the utmost bravery and commitment to peace and justice demonstrated by ordinary Malaysians from every walk of life. Inspired by this example, the Bersih 2.0 leadership reiterates our own unyielding commitment to our shared cause, and to being at Stadium Merdeka at 2pm tomorrow. We will meet at the carpark, and trust that the doors will be opened for us. This is Malaysia's single most important defining moment in recent history, and we are fully confident that the rakyat will heed the call to safeguard the principles Malaysia was founded on and together ensure that we pass down to our children a nation that is just, democratic and united in love for one another. Released by, Steering Committee Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises: Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan (Chairperson), Andrew Khoo, Arul Prakkash, Arumugam K., Dr Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dato' Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Dato' Yeo Yang Poh dan Zaid Kamaruddin. |
Perhimpunan itu dilaporkan berlangsung di 30 bandaraya.
“Topeng Ambiga kini diedarkan, kita semua Ambiga!” tulis satu tweet.
“Kami menuntut pilihan raya yang bebas dan adil. Bebaskan semua tahanan,” laung peserta perhimpunan itu di persimpangan Gwanghwamun di tengah-tengah bandaraya Seoul (kiri).| You are subscribed to email updates from Anwar Ibrahim To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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