The Bersih 2.0 gathering on 9 July and the crackdown that preceded it captures our attention in this issue. Bersih is, of course, a civil society coalition of NGOs campaigning for clean and fair elections. This campaign couldn’t be more timely.
Francis Loh reminds us of the unlevel playing field and the Election Commission’s loss of autonomy. Lim Teck Ghee reinforces the case for the Bersih gathering, pointing to an academic consensus of the glaring shortcomings in the system.
The momentum for the campaign has prompted certain quarters to launch a scare campaign against the rakyat. In our cover story, Tommy Thomas is concerned that we are sliding into a Police State with no place for the Rule of Law. Cuci-cuci Malaysia looks at who exactly is intimidating the rakyat and exhorts Malaysians to separate the wheat from the chaff and choose what is right and just.
We carry a couple of poems inspired by recent events. In Samad Said’s ‘Unggun Bersih”, he describes our democracy as wounded, arrogant and disgusting. He dreams of a new democracy that is as brilliant as the sun, united in purpose. Nasir’s poem is a moving lamentation about the recent arrests.
We especially demand the release of six political activists, including Aliran member Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, who were harshly detained without trial under the Emergency Ordinance. We urge you to send letters to the government to call for their immediate release.
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The climate of repression has not escaped the notice of international rights groups. Five prominent international human rights groups have come together to write a rare joint open letter to Najib.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
wow – deport French lawyer as he is dirty n kotor. arrest a medical doctor whose government service is impeccable. he is also an elected MP. millions of illegals are now given amnesty, wow so generous. isnt this the height of incompetency n poor leadership. no wonder our nation is in a big mess fro PKFZ billion dollar scandal to missing jet engines.welcome to a clean nation- malaysians are taken to the cleaners
Kotor is the right word to describe UMNO BN from the more than 50 years of track records of oppressions of the Rakyats by using the Police Force as their tools of violence to suppress dissent and also they have committed blatant mismanagement of Malaysia with rampant corruptions and cheating and plundering the coffers of the Federal Government. Kotor is the word aptly describe UMNO BN and the underhand dirty tactics they use to suppress the press and misinform the general public of Malaysia. Malaysians of all races must get rid of this Kotor evil regime with the thorough cleansing by Bersih which is the spirits of all the Rakyats for the wellbeing of all the future generations of all Malaysians in the next GE..