In MB Khalid saga, how clean is Bersih 2.0’s stand?
Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily
The Selangor MB saga reminded Malaysians how dirty the game of politics can be as brother turned against brother so to speak, in PKR master and commander Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s tussle with independent lord and master of the state Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Both sides demonstrated how far they would go to stab their former ally in the back just to further their own personal agenda. It is clear that in politics there are no good guys, just convenient allies and current enemies.
Strange bedfellows do this game of thrones make, as allies and enemies speedily exchanged places, at times almost on whims and at a glance fancies.
The storm of recent events also laid bare how the dirty games of politics can sully once pristine NGOs (non-governmental oragisations) when supposedly non-partisan organisations take sides in political conflict as Bersih 2.0 did in the PKR vs Khalid match-up.
In the beginning some would have asked why would Bersih 2.0 comment on the Selangor MB saga at all given that it is largely known as a pro-electoral reform movement.
Some would ask it to continue sticking to the Election Commission for alleged irregularities in polls and to harangue PKR over its still outstanding party polls where arguments, fisticuffs and chair-flying antics have the polls dragging for six months.
Bersih 2.0 also cried foul over PKR asking its Kajang state representative to resign to allow Anwar and subsequently, his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to run for the seat when the PKR de facto leader was disqualified due to an overturned former acquittal.
The event led to the infamous Kajang Move which threatened to tear a rift in not only PKR but Pakatan as Anwar’s lead strategist went on a limb to draw up plans for the so-called political end game to supposedly place Anwar as Selangor MB without prior consultations.
But all those irregularities once criticised by Bersih 2.0 seem to fade into the background as Bersih started to target Khalid for his stubborn refusal to vacate the MB post for Wan Azizah.
Is it proper for a pro-electoral reform movement to comment on something that has nothing to do with polls? Some may ask this, but it is actually part of Bersih 2.0’s larger focus, which is to ensure clean governance.
So there is a place for Bersih 2.0 to comment on this serious matter of governance of the state.
However, to side with PKR against Khalid when both have gone overboard may be seen to imply that Bersih 2.0’s stance is no longer so “bersih”, so to speak.
Ths is especially so when Bersih 2.0 seems more concerned with PKR’s survival as a party in the face of a complaint by Khalid’s legal team to the Registrar of Societies (ROS) that the MB’s dismissal from the party may not have followed proper procedure.
Bersih 2.0 also questioned Khalid’s lawyers for representing him, accusing them of going against the principles of human rights by reporting the matter to the ROS which they claimed may lack fairness in its deliberations.
The organisation also went as far as to question the lawyers Edmund Bon and New Sew Yin of BON Advocates for appearing for Khalid at all.
They are alleging that this is against the principles of human rights as Khalid seems to be inherently improper in conduct as far as PKR is concerned and thus representing him means contravening human rights which Bon and New claim to profess.
But Bersih 2.0 seems to forget that until proven otherwise, Khalid is innocent of all allegations PKR levelled at him and if he is indeed the victim of improper procedural actions, he has the right for legal remedy.
Bon and New, even though New is a Bersih steering committee member, have a duty to represent and defend their client Khalid to the best of their abilities.
Legal representation is a human right and the principle of innocent before proven guilty still stands. PKR also should be held accountable if it has breached its own constitution or regulations governing societies.
One has to wonder if Bersih 2.0 is now more concerned with PKR’s survival than in proper governance in the party itself let alone Selangor.
It is disturbing that Bersih 2.0 and other NGOs who self-styled themselves as human rights activist can so blatantly swing their support behind PKR in the Selangor MB saga.
They should have been non-partisan and question everything without fear or favour. PKR’s survival means nothing if they too resorted to evil political conduct like smearing one of their own.
If human rights NGOs supported Anwar when BN smeared his character with sodomy, so should they support Khalid who is being smeared by PKR with supposed political treachery.
While it is acknowledged that many such NGOs have always been seen to be linked to PKR and/or Pakatan, it would be a blow to their credibility if this is truly the case not only in their ideological origins but also in their official viewpoints.
Just as “No” means “No”, non-partisan should mean non-partisan and invoking human rights to deny Khalid his right of representation is morally wrong, so is victimising those who give him proper representation.
