Sini-sana news on the planned 9th July BERSIH rally
MCA hammers Perkasa for race riot insinuations
Despite warning its members away from the Bersih 2.0 rally next month, MCA leaders have flayed Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali for leading the public into believing the gathering could turn into a racial riot.
When contacted today, the leaders expressed disgust at the Malay rights leader’s sudden warning to the Chinese to “stay home” on July 9 and “stock up on food as anything could happen”.
“This is unnecessary, what Perkasa said. Why do you have to make it a racial thing?” MCA Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong told The Malaysian Insider when approached in Parliament.
He agreed that Bersih, a bipartisan electoral reform group made up of civil society organisations, was comprised of a variety of races.
MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu said it was no surprise that Ibrahim, known for his pro-Malay race rhetoric in his work for Perkasa, the NGO he founded, had come up with such a statement.
“Whatever he does is racial so it is quite natural for him. We do not agree with him of course… he should not be disrupting public peace. For him to turn it into a racial issue… it is just nonsense,” he said.
80 groups renew support as countdown begins for July 9 rally
In what appears to be the launching of a countdown to the much anticipated Bersih rally on July 9, some 80 organisations yesterday renewed their support for the coalition and listed eight demands on reforming the electoral system.
Topping the list is a call for a cleansing of the electoral roll which it said was “marred with irregularities such as deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address or non-existent addresses”.
“The rakyat have a right to an electoral roll that is an accurate reflection of the voting population,” said the steering committee of Bersih 2.0, a follow up to the much leaner Bersih which held a massive rally in 2007 attended by more than 50,000 people in Kuala Lumpur. This year, rallies would also be held in London and Taipei as part of its campaign to highlight concerns by Malaysian citizens living abroad.
Berish 2.0 steering committee is chaired by former Bar Council head Ambiga Sreenevasan, and comprises of activists and NGOs leaders Andrew Khoo, Arumugam K., Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa, Haris Ibrahim, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Yeo Yang Poh, Zaid Kamaruddin, Dr Subramaniam Pillay and Arul Prakkash.
It called for a rethink on the controversial postal votes, the use of indelible ink, a minimum campaign period of 21 days, an open-minded mainstream and broadcast media, reform of public institutions including the police and Attorney General’s Chambers, eradication of corruption and vote buying practices, and a stop on “gutter politics”.
Khairy wants action against Ibrahim Ali for ‘racist’ statement
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin urged the authorities to take action against Malay rights group Perkasa’s president Datuk Ibrahim Ali for ‘threatening’ the Chinese community.
“It is a racist and seditious statement that is dangerous.
“Action should be taken against him as his statement is a clear threat,” he told reporters at Parliament’s lobby here on Monday.
He added that the authorities should use the Sedition Act to investigate Ibrahim over his statement.
Bersih rally tainted, claims Khairy
Khairy Jamaluddin today claimed the Bersih rally has been compromised, following Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s attempt to exert his influence by claiming he could stop the rally next month.
Yesterday, the PKR de facto leader said he would ask Bersih chairman, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, to call off the July 9 rally if the prime minister could guarantee free and fair elections.
However, Ambiga dismissed the statement, stressing that the decision to continue with the planned Bersih 2.0 rally will be made by civil society groups and not any political party
Today, the Umno Youth chief said Anwar’s actions showed that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has its own political agenda behind its support for the massive rally.
“It shows that the opposition has its own agenda behind Bersih even though Ambiga has said that no party can direct her.
“He (Anwar) thinks that Bersih is an agenda and platform of the opposition. That shows Bersih is compromised, because if Anwar can think that it (Bersih) belongs to the opposition then Bersih’s objectives are jeopardised. They (Bersih) are being used by the opposition,” he told reporters during a press conference here today.
DAP faults Umno for Perkasa threats
DAP’s Lim Guan Eng pronounced Umno guilty today of fanning racial and religious strife for its tacit support of Perkasa’s “Nazi-like” threat against ethnic Chinese ahead of three massive — and conflicting — marches on July 9.
The DAP secretary-general further accused the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin of being “politically bankrupt” for resorting to provocation to cover its own shortcomings.
Lim pointed out Umno and the BN government have been deflecting questions on health and environmental safety over Australian miner Lynas Corp’s RM700 million rare earths project in Pahang and the Tourism Ministry’s RM1.8million Facebook scandal.
Nurul Izzah: Ibrahim Ali a coward
Nurul Izzah Anwar today called Datuk Ibrahim Ali a coward for threatening the Chinese community and warning them against showing up for the Bersih rally on July 9.
“Threats like that are only issued by cowards. It’s mind-boggling that the authorities have failed to reprimand him accordingly.
“While I believe that we should respect the right of all Malaysians to speak freely, this freedom is not something to be abused or to be used irresponsibly. As such, I am truly disappointed by the insinuations and veiled language used by Datuk Ibrahim Ali, with regards to the Bersih 2.0 rally happening this July 9,” the PKR vice-president told The Malaysian Insider.
Malay rights group Perkasa kicked off its Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru yesterday by burning images of Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and issuing a warning to the Chinese to stay indoors as “anything could happen”.
Ibrahim, who had appointed himself “war general”, said if electoral reform coalition Bersih goes through with its July 9 rally, he will not be held responsible for any untoward incidents which may occur.
“Imagine if chaos erupts. If the Bersih rally is not cancelled… I believe the Chinese community will have to stock up on food,” he had said.
Kit Siang slams inaction over Ibrahim’s veiled threats
Calling it the most “bloodcurdling and incendiary” statement made in public, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang questioned today Putrajaya’s silence against Perkasa’s warning to ethnic Chinese to “stay home” and “stock up on food” on July 9.
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who founded the grassroots Malay nationalist group, had yesterday launched a counter-strike to the July 9 public rally organised by electoral reform group Bersih 2.0.
There, he declared “If the Bersih rally is not cancelled… I believe the Chinese community will have to stock up on food”.
“If an emergency declared, will the Agong be able to appoint a caretaker leader? Maybe they (the opposition) will take to the streets and demand that they take over the government,” the Independent Pasir Mas MP added.
Lim, who is Ipoh-Timur MP, said he was shocked by his parliamentary colleague’s provocative remarks, highlighting that the Bersih campaign is about free and fair elections and had nothing to do with race.
He demanded the federal government explain why no action has been taken against Ibrahim.
“The question is not about the tirade from Ibrahim Ali but why has he been given the immunity and impunity to make such provocation.
“Why is the home minister, the prime minister and the IGP closing their eyes to such provocation and strengthening the impression they are complicit or conspiring with such a threat?” the seasoned DAP politician asked.
Bersih 2.0: Pemuda PAS dakwa polis restu tindakan Perkasa
Dewan Pemuda PAS pusat mendakwa pendekatan Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali sengaja menggunakan sentimen perkauman dalam satu perhimpunan semalam dalam menggagalkan Himpunan Bersih 2.0 bulan depan.
Malah sayap PAS itu juga mendakwa Perkasa menjadikan sasaran barunya dengan bertindak membakar gambar Pengerusi Bersih Datuk S. Ambiga dan melaungkan sentiemen agama dengan melabelnya “perempuan hindu yang bahaya”, satu tindakan yang boleh mencetuskan suasana buruk walaupun ia langsung tidak berkaitan terhadap himpunan yang bakal berlangsung.
“Malah Datuk Ibrahim juga mengukapkan “orang Cina elok duduk dalam rumah sebelum sesuatu yang buruk berlaku” sebagai pendekatan amaran yang sengaja membakar kaum Cina dalam negara,” kata Naib Ketua Pemuda PAS Raja Ahmad Al-Hiss dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini.
Bersih 2.0: Kerajaan guna taktik takutkan rakyat, kata Pemuda PAS
Dewan Pemuda PAS pusat mendakwa kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) menggunakan taktik menakut-nakutkan rakyat bagi menghalang orang ramai daripada menyertai Himpunan Bersih 2.0 bulan depan.
Ketuanya Nasrudin Hasan berkata, hasrat aspirasi rakyat untuk memastikan proses pelantikan pemimpin negara menerusi lunas demokrasi dan pilihan raya yang adil serta telus sukar diterima oleh sebuah kerajaan yang angkuh.
“PAS bersama semua parti politik pembangkang serta pertubuhan bukan kerajaan yang menganggotai koalisi Bersih, bersiap sedia untuk berhimpun secara aman tanpa senjata untuk menyerahkan memorandum khas kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini.
