Grow up and work with Bersih, Najib
By Jeswan Kaur, FMT
An innocent intention to undertake a walk for democracy has got Barisan Nasional, the police, the National Fatwa Council, the Election Commission, the bogeyman of Umno and even a silat grandmaster going hysterical, to the extent of willing to cause hurt to organisers and participants of the Bersih 2.0 rally.
July 9 has become a date synonymous with anarchy and hidden agenda, as far as Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is trying so very hard to imply.
Looks like the impact made by the inaugural Bersih rally on Nov 10, 2007, still haunts Umno. It was said to have attracted between 30,000 to 50,000 people and played a major role in helping the opposition parties win big in the 2008 general election.
The 2007 rally was intercepted by the police using tear gas and chemical-laced water cannons.
Four years later, Bersih 2.0 is going on another rally, on July 9. The aim, as far as its chief S Ambiga is concerned is to clean up the electoral system, to ensure elections are conducted in a just manner.
Still, Bersih 2.0 failed to realise that the heartburn the 2007 rally caused Umno never went away. This explains the hysteria behind Najib’s actions this time around to leave nothing to chance, to ensure July 9 favours his leadership as the premier.
All means are being deployed by the Najib administration to ensure the July 9 rally never sees the light of the day. Participants of Saturday’s “Walk for Democracy” are being harassed and hounded with threats of imprisonment, including using the Internal Security Act draconian law against the organisers.
The truth however is that the walk, organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 is a cry for clean and fair elections, which to BN and Umno is asking for the impossible, hence all attempts by Umno to thwart the spirits of all those behind the rally.
What however is unforgiving is the way the police treated the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) activists detained in Kepala Batas, Penang, while campaigning for their “Udahlah” Bersaralah” (Enough already – Retire Now) roadshow campaign.
PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said the 30 were not campaigning for the Bersih 2.0 July 9 rally.
Arutchelvan said the police was mistreating the Hindu detainees, giving them beef to eat, knowing fully well eating beef goes against their religious belief .
‘People first’ – truth or fallacy
Now, with all the rantings about national unity and harmony by Najib, what does he, the Penang police chief Ayub Yaakob, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein have to say about the police brutality being carried out towards the PSM activists detained in what is seen as Najib’s way of sending a message to Bersih 2.0 chief, lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan.
The detainees were denied visitation rights, visits by their lawyers, proper medical care and treatment and also basic items like toothpaste and soap.
