Ambiga: Bersih 2.0 good for BN too


By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 20, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — Clean and fair elections will not only benefit all political parties including those under the Barisan Nasional (BN) umbrella, Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said last night.

She said electoral reform will “legitimise” BN’s rule in the eyes of the people and lend credibility to ruling coalition, which the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact has repeatedly accused of electoral fraud.

“We want clean and fair elections for everyone and this is good even for Barisan Nasional, because if they come in on free and fair elections, they’re legitimately there,” she told nearly 600 supporters at the launch of the Bersih 2.0 rally here.

Ambiga said the door was still open to BN component parties who wished to join Bersih on July 9 to demand electoral reform, stressing that she wanted the rally to be a bipartisan affair.

She lamented that, while the coalition sent invitations to all political parties, only the opposition had agreed to join the rally.

Ambiga also reiterated that Bersih wants to work hand-in-hand with police to help the people exercise their right to assembly, as guaranteed by Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

“They (the police) will tell you that we have legislation, Police Act and the rest. That’s what they will say, and they will use that.

“But I tell them: Read the Constitution. Whatever Act you have cannot nullify my right under this Federal Constitution. You may restrict it a little bit but you cannot take it away,” the former Bar Council president said.

PR component parties and activists are gearing up to march on July 9 in the second such rally by election watchdog Bersih.

The first rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the capital’s street, before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

The 2007 rally has been credited for the PR’s record gains in Election 2008, where the opposition pact was swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.

PAS has promised to bring some 300,000 protestors this year in hopes that it will galvanise support for the opposition in the next general election, expected to be called within a year.

Malay rights group Perkasa and 164 other non-governmental organisations as well as Umno Youth have said they will march on July 9 to counter the Bersih rally.

Perkasa earlier yesterday kicked off its counter-protest to Bersih 2.0 by burning images of Ambiga and warning the Chinese to stay indoors as “anything could happen”.

  1. #1 by Bigjoe on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 8:44 am

    True but unfortunately when you are holding on to your power by a mere 5%, it means risking losing power in order to change. It means painful restructuring right to the core of UMNO/BN and THAT is something hard for most people. Its betrays that UMNO/BN just like most people and classic people of govt who don’t know what real leadership is all about or rather are not real leaders in the first place.

  2. #2 by yhsiew on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 8:54 am

    The Oriental Daily News today reported that 80 youngsters from MCA youth attended Perkasa’s Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru yesterday. At the gathering Perkasa Ibraham Ali claimed that if the Bersih rally is not cancelled, the Chinese community will have to stock up on food.

    CSL should explain why he allowed MCA Youth to help racist Perkasa “trample” on the Chinese.

  3. #3 by dagen on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 8:59 am

    Perkasa burning posters again? Come on. He would not be able to garner 500 supporters that day for his march.

    Umno youth may do a little better. Maybe 700-800 people. But what would be the purpose of umno youth’s march. To support bersih or to discredit bersih? Hairy monkey is openly critical of ibrahim bin perkasa and his movement. So he cant be walking alongside perkasa or be seen with them, surely. Is he bold enough then to come over to our side – the bersih side?

    He ought to realise that he would look like a fool, if he was then without a purpose or stand. You see he was borned with some quality gray matter. Oxford fed them with some quality knowledge. Has umno disgorged them? Lets see.

  4. #4 by yhsiew on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:07 am

    Oops!

    Sorry CSL, not MCA Youth but Chinese Youth.

  5. #5 by Joshua on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:23 am

    Datuk AS is right because we have is ILLEGAL Government due to the rigging by the Election Commissions – fully proven.

    I am considered by BN as anti Government when I am anti ILLEGAL governments – Federal and State.

    Illegal governments do all sorts of illegal thing and illegalities they flock together with illegal people by have 5 millions illegal people in Malaysia given IC when Sabah itself has 2 million of that.

    You know who are involved in Project IC or Project M.

    For more details go to
    http://fresh-air-in-iggg.blogspot.com/

  6. #6 by bruno on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:29 am

    Ambiga knows that a clean and fair election is good for the opposition.What is good for the gender is not always good for the geese.That is why Umno will not allowed the Bersih rally to go on as planned.Truckloads of ringgit are on the way to Ibrahim Ali’s house.Then it will be distributed among his supporters.Then his supporters will go all out to recruit any Tom,Dick and Harry goons they can lay their hands on.Rela members will be in this group.

    Umno and BN knows that if a huge crowd showed up for the Bersih rally they are in real trouble.Even the chicken CSL has send his goons from Mca to shore up support for Perkasa.CSL knows that if he does not openly support Perkasa or Umno against Bersih, Mca and Chua Junior is mee gorenged.But if his goons showed up to support Perkasa or Umno,this coming GE 13,his Mca and Chua Junior will also be gorenged.Either way Chua Senior, Junior and Mca will be mee gorenged.The only thing is they won’t be ISAAED.

  7. #7 by best4rakyat on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:31 am

    Really heartfelt and sad to see among malaysian specially our youth had not been guided with proper understanding about any good purpose of political will from people.
    Why then should we have election and again why we spend so much effort asking keep on reminding voters to elect good representatives with their right?
    Thus far how many have understanding of a rally on clean and proper election is a political will amd right of every righteous citizen more than politically motivated by any political parties.
    Also is making very wrongful accusation by DPM to link Bersih2.0 rally and Ambiga with any political parties to mislead our young generation to understand different between personal political desire of individual and a righteaous appeal by people in politics.
    Can someone put him and other to debate what’s politics that linking our daily life to clarify for good? From health issue to education and economy every concern for nation directly with people and living are politics.Never give an excuse to sweep all these under carpet by misleading people or use the uniform authority who in fact must allow more of a positive way to manage the positive rally!
    Also perception must be justify and should not be like what the behaviour of certain group merely act to against by burning others image or oppose without any meaningful purpose but creating more racial than rightful will for all people. One should be able to justify from their individual or aimless behaviour more than for awakening us about right in our role as malaysian!
    We must change making positive change of mindset before late to live up with more competitive world after 2020. No more old daddy excuse of taking righteous concern in politics meant a dirty job that young generation should not involve.

  8. #8 by best4rakyat on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:45 am

    I see the boldness of Khairy and UMNO youth also to be on for the July 09 rally.Except they must do it with right perception and also to be with the rightful purpose of the rally that to say going for ‘clean and proper election’ and political will for people’s right!
    About other include MCA and Gerakan youth may be they have a reason for themselves but for those suggesting other platform should ask what platform so far we have for malaysian (irrespective of any parties) to voice with freedom.Enough either you are awakened by your consciousness in politics or as respectful politician guiding our young and future with positive opinion or buzz-off from involvement.
    Please do not mislead your youth in any parties about the meaning of ‘poltical right linking our daily life’ with your political desire or selfish ambition! Thank you.

  9. #9 by monsterball on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:47 am

    You can take it that Awar knows Najib will never dare to declare a clean and fair 13th GE…when he said if Najib declare that…he will ask Ambiga to call off the BERSIH rally.
    But you can also take it that Anwar is arrogant and thinks anyone supports same thing as he does..he is the leader for all Malaysians.
    Anwar has to learn that millions support change of government and do not support any one party or is a political party member.
    Amgiba answers to no one.

  10. #10 by pulau_sibu on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 9:51 am

    about Najib’s son-in-law:

    Borat is out of competition
    Written by Leonid Komarovskiy
    Wednesday, 25 May 2011 09:34

    boratLife is complicated, yet fun. Only recently I had an opportunity to tell a story about an erupted in our outskirts a Deputy from the Russian LDPR-party, Ashot Egiazaryane, who escaped from Moscow because of charges of fraud and who is now hanging out in California, fooling as a second Khodorkovskiy and requests political asylum. And here is a no less entertaining story about a Kazakh boy, Daniyar Nazarbayev. Also a complicated one… absurdly.

    In 2006, a young citizen of the independent Kazakhstan arrived to New York. He was shining around with his sounding last name and loaded with unbelievable amounts of cash that was an easy pray for experienced people here.

    In October 2006, New York Post wrote that Daniyar Nazarbayev, who was named in the publication as “the son of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev”, acquired couple of apartments located at 55 Wall Street. One of the apartments with two bedrooms cost $2.9 million, and the other one located below, with only one bedroom, was $2.1 million. I don’t know either it’s true or rumors, but the press reported that “the President Nazarbayev personally visited the house, when attended the UN summit, and then, apparently, approved the purchase”. It smells like really big money.

    Among the first wishing to join the newfound loot were the Ivy Success consultants. For $200,000 they committed to help the young newcomer to enroll into one of the eight Ivy League universities, either to Harvard, or to Yale… Even so, the amount is still unbelievable. After all, we are speaking about tutoring, top rate for which is $50 per hour for a hundred hours a month. They probably wouldn’t ask for more if it wouldn’t be for the royal last name of the applicant. It’s apparent that it wasn’t only New York Post that decided that Daniyar was the son of the everlasting President of Kazakhstan. Newly appeared prince was mysteriously silent that only confirmed his rumored royal origin.

    After receiving their $200,000 the Ivy Success consultants for some reason lost interest in the young man and stopped loving him for this money, declaring that he is not ready for the Ivy League universities. They, however, did not return the money, which led to a lawsuit. Those days the American press mocked comparing cini-nutcase from Kazakhstan “Borat” and very real Kazakhs, Daniyar and his mother Mayra Nazarbayeva, who made a bad shot in a such an easy case. However, Daniyar is a stubborn kid and managed to enroll into an Ivy League Columbia University and will be graduating within the next few days.

    And this is where the fun begins because Daniyar Nazarbayev is not Nazarbayev, and his documents proving his secondary education that were the basis for enrolling into the university – excuse me for bad manners – are pure crap. Having said that, his mother Mayra also doesn’t have such a sounding last name and with whom the Kazakh law enforcement agencies would love to talk to due to her wide range of life adventures every now and then being in conflict with the Kazakh laws. Generally speaking, cine Kazakh Borat is out of competition…

    Let’s begin with Daniyar. By the time he was admitted to the Columbia University, he had two school diplomas – Diploma from Leysin American School (Switzerland), issued in 2005, which did not give him the right to attend an institution of higher education as it was incomplete, and a High School Diploma, issued in the same 2005 by the high school (gymnasium) in a small town Talgar in Almaty District in Kazakhstan. Don’t ask me how it is possible to simultaneously study in Switzerland and Kazakhstan – I don’t know. Ask Daniyar – he is a step away from receiving his bachelor’s degree and perhaps he could disperse the doubts.

    All this really sounds as a scam since the administration of that very Kazakh school does not know anything about its graduate with a royal last name, and the Swiss have confirmed that Daniyar’s diploma is incomplete. I’m not sure how it is in Switzerland, but within the former Soviet territories it was possible to buy for fifty bucks during those times a completely legitimate blank of any document proving the graduation – from vocational schools to MSU. And for an extra bribe, with a “real-live” seals and entering into appropriate registration books of such academic institutions.

    So the famous Columbia University should think twice before issuing Daniyar a Bachelor’s degree: what if the graduate is indeed … with higher education, but without secondary one… Columbians got fooled, apparently… Not good… Not prestigious… Borat is out of competition…

    When it comes to the last name of nearly bachelor, nothing is so smooth either. As is reported by the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan, this last name was taken away by the decision of the appropriate agencies, as it was illegally acquired, and all the documents, including passport, were disowned back in February 2010. It turns out since that date he is present in the USA with illegal documents.

    Daniyar can thank his mother, born Mayra Kurmangaliyeva, for his last name and all the transformations in this regard. It was she who lured Bolat Nazarbayev into her net – a real relative (who is said to be the sibling) of the Kazakh President – and married him, in a hurry forgetting to divorce her previous husband D. Kesikbayev, whose last name Daniyar had before receiving his second birth certificate with the last name Nazarbayev. There are legends in Kazakhstan about this lady with regards to her resourcefulness, non-fastidiousness and indifference to laws.

    Dude by name Daniyar and with a strange last name, appears to be no less pacey than his mother when it comes to matrimonial matters. There are rumors that he charmed Nooryana Najwa, the daughter of Prime-Minister of Malaysia, and about to marry her. Why not? Prominent guy, full of dough, with the last name that takes the breath away… However, if I were Malaysian dad I’d check just in case: was Daniyar married when he was younger. Apple from an apple tree, as you know… and Alma-Ata after all is the city of apples and apple trees.

    Though, let’s let the Kazakhs and Malaysians deal with this themselves.

    I, however, have a set of questions to our American governmental officials.

    How did it happen that whoever can purchase very expensive housing in USA without proper financial document check? How can a foreigner, whose documents were disavowed in his own country, continue to quietly live in the US?

    Finally, how did it happen that a person with shady secondary education documents reached graduation from one of the most prestigious universities of the country?

    Leonid Komarovskiy

  11. #11 by bruno on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 10:03 am

    Most importantly prominent politicans like top leaders of PR should absent themselves from this Bersih rally.Whether in the eyes of Umno or the public this rally should not be seen as a political rally.If this is seen as a political rally all the advantages of a Bersih clean house rally is gone down the drain.

    It will also give the authorities excuse to move in.If this happen it would make Ops Lallang look like a children’s outing.Even without prominent politicians participating I would be surprised if Umno would let the rally proceed without a hitch.Hopefully cooler heads will prevailed and all the rallies will be called off.The already tensed situation 2 1/2 weeks away from the rally date.A cornered Umno can be very unpredictable especially when they are already sounding the warhorns.

  12. #12 by loveandgratitude on Monday, 20 June 2011 - 10:10 am

    To all Parents-if you want to Support Bersih 2.0 DO NOT bring your children to the Rally! Go alone and NOT use your children as a Shield against the Teargas and Watercannon.

    Neither should the ELDERLY as they will only cause Harm to themselves.

    Already the Police are Nervous and the FULL MIGHT of the FORCE will be USE come what may.

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