Bersih 4.0 rally | |||
---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||
Date | 29 August 2015 – 30 August 2015 | ||
Location | |||
Goals |
| ||
Number | |||
Casualties and losses | |||
The Bersih 4.0 rally was a series of planned rallies carried out on 29 to 30 August 2015 in major cities in Malaysia, namely Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. [7] There were subsequent rallies in over 70 cities around the world in support of the main rallies in Malaysia. The rallies were organised by The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Malay: Gabungan Pilihanraya Bersih dan Adil) or Bersih (meaning clean in Malay) a coalition of non-government organisations which seeks to reform the current electoral system in Malaysia to ensure free, clean and fair elections. The rallies were being carried out with the objective to calling for clean and transparent governance in Malaysia as well as strengthening the parliamentary democracy system. The rallies are a followup to similar rallies that were carried out in 2007, 2011 and 2012. 30 August is the day before National Day which is on 31 August.
In the aftermath of the general elections in Malaysia in 2013 there were accusations by the opposition and non-governmental organisations that the government had cheated its way to another election victory. A series of rallies in 2013 were carried out protesting the results of the elections, whereby the opposition garnered a plurality of the votes but still lost the election due to the government gaining the most seats in the Westminster system of elections.
In 2015, a corruption scandal began to engulf Malaysia, involving a government super fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad which was chaired by Prime Minister Najib Razak. There were a series of exposes by online investigative blogs, namely Sarawak Report and major news portal Wall Street Journal that money was being siphoned off from the fund into personal accounts of Najib and his close relations. A Public Accounts Committee compromising government and opposition members of parliament was set up to investigate if there were major wrongdoings on the part of Najib and 1MDB. However, in July, the government began to stifle news reports regarding the 1MDB scandal by blocking the website Sarawak Report, which had been in forefront of exposes revealing the losses incurred by 1MDB and its connection to Najib, from the Malaysian internet community. [8] The government then began to withdraw the publishing license of The Edge, a financial and news publication which was reporting the 1MDB scandal. [9] Furthermore, on 28 July, Najib began removing detractors in his cabinet and government such as Abdul Gani Patail, the Attorney General of Malaysia who was part of the task force investigating the 1MDB scandal, [10] his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and four other ministers who were said to be critical of 1MDB and called for Najib to explain the issue to the Malaysian public. [11] The Public Accounts Committee investigating the 1MDB scandal was also suspended indefinitely with the promotion of four of its members to Deputy Ministers by Najib. [12]
Currently there is a court case challenging the re-delineation of electoral boundaries in Sarawak, which if carried out would affect the next state elections in Sarawak. [13] The re-delineation of the seats in Sarawak would see an increase of 71 to 82 seats in the state assembly, but the current contention is there was no proper explanation given for the planned increase. Bersih has stated that the case, which has been successfully appealed by the Election Commission, would allow it to carry out acts of gerrymandering and malapportionment. [14] [15]
Bersih has set forth the following main objectives for their rallies: [16] [17]
Opposition-owned media, Malay Mail , claimed the rally was attended by Malaysians of all races, with a 50–50 ratio between Malays and non-Malays. [21] However, international media like Bloomberg reported that organisers themselves admitted, only about 30 percent of people were Malay, with the rally dominated by ethnic Chinese who have drifted from Najib's ruling coalition in recent years. [22]
The following groups sent their members to the rallies:
The following group will not participate in the rallies:
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) has announced that peaceful assemblies like Bersih cannot be banned under the law, and that the police has provide convincing and compelling reasons to justify preventing Bersih's right to assemble as provided under the Peaceful Assembly Act. [33] [34] The Bar Council of Malaysia have stated that it is illegal for the police to prohibit the Bersih rally from going ahead. [35] [36] The Bar Council has also prepared a team of lawyers to provide legal assistance to rally participants should they be arrested by the police. [37] [38] Furthermore, Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen said that it was irresponsible for the authorities to mislead the public and make exaggerated claims that the rally is illegal or out to topple the government. [39] [40]
A poll by Merdeka Center shows majority of Malaysian citizens oppose this rally (47% compare to 43% approve). [41] 70% of Malays disapprove this rally [42] while those who approve were the Internet-users, urbanites and Chinese. [43]
Prime Minister Najib Razak has described the Bersih participants as 'shallow and poor' in patriotism. [44] [45] The Ministry of Home Affairs has released a gazetted order under the Printing Presses and Publications Act banning the wearing of yellow clothing with the wording 'Bersih 4' and any pamphlets promoting the rally. [46] [47] This was disputed by former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram who said that with the exception of pamphlets or placards, Bersih 4 T-shirt does not fall under the definition of publications. [48] The Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh has warned undergraduates from participating in the Bersih rallies and that they would face action under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971. [49] The University Council and universities such as Universiti Teknologi MARA have warned on action to be taken on students who participate in the Bersih rallies, even threatening the students with suspension. [50] [51] The Malaysian Armed Forces chief Gen Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said that the military will intervene in the rallies if the government declares a state of emergency. [52] [53] Malaysian Navy has said action will be taken against navy personnel who took part in the Bersih rallies. [54]
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), who regulates internet usage in Malaysia has announced on their Facebook page that it would begin to block websites that promote and spread information regarding the Bersih rallies on grounds that the rallies threaten national stability. [55] [56] [57] Bersih has condemn the MCMC's decision and has asked the public to email the MCMC to complain, while stating they would also seek legal recourse if the MCMC's ban is not lifted by the time the rallies' start. [58] [59] [60] Deputy Minister of the Communications and Multimedia ministry Jailani Johari said that internet news portals will not be exempted from being blocked if they report on the Bersih rallies. [61] [62] Four websites have been blocked by the MCMC from being accessible to Malaysian internet users. [63] [64] [65]
A yellow Volkswagen Beetle owned by Bersih 2.0's Southern Vice-Chair Thomas Fann, that was going to be used in a roadshow to promote the Bersih 4 rally was vandalised. It was place in front of the protest stage during the rally for the whole world to see with all its scars - acid damaged paintwork and sprayed vulgarities and all . [66] [67] [68] Bersih has started a photo campaign called "Bersih 4 Global Countdown" asking Malaysians all over the world to show their support for the rally by posting a picture of themselves with posters. [69] [70] Bersih has also announced record donations nearing 2 million ringgit. [71] [72] [73] Furthermore, there have been records sales of yellow T-shirts with the Bersih logo with the shirts being sold out in a matter of days. [74] [75]
A pro-government group Himpunan Solidariti Untuk Mu Malaysia (Solidarity gathering for you Malaysia) aims to gather about 10,000 people at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) to counter the Bersih rallies. [76] [77] The police have started investigating the group after they gave an exhibition showing off weapons and martial arts like silat, in anticipation of violence. [78] [79] [80] After the leader of the anti-Bersih group Jamal Md Yunos was questioned by the police about the group's intentions, he announced that the counter-rally would be called off. [81] [82] [83]
The police have said that the rallies can go ahead with certain conditions, such as not disrupting businesses and inciting people to topple the government. [84] [85] Also ten days notice must be given to the police or a fine of RM10,000 would be meted out to the organisers as stipulated in the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. [86] Bersih has met up with police asking the police to ensure the safety and security of the participants, as well not to use tear gas as in previous Bersih rallies. [87] [88] Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has requested that Bersih use Bukit Jalil National Stadium instead of Dataran Merdeka as not to disrupt national day preparations. [89] [90] Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Mhd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz has refused Bersih's request to hold the rally at Dataran Merdeka. [91] [92] Thousands of police officers have been deployed around Kuala Lumpur in preparation for the rally. [93] [94] Kuala Lumpur City Hall has advised Bersih to postpone their rally for a week, which was refused and also gave alternative venues such as Titiwangsa, Merdeka Stadium and the National Stadium. [95] Bersih has said they will stay out Dataran Merdeka, [96] but will protest within its vicinity, which will include resting on the streets of Kuala Lumpur in participants' own sleeping bags. [97] Bersih has advised participants of the rally to bring sleeping bags, blankets and umbrellas, including food and drink during the duration of the rallies. [98] Bersih has set up five gathering points for the participants to start out before heading to Dataran Merdeka: Sogo, Pasar Seni, Dataran Maybank, Brickfields and the National Mosque. [99]
Bersih has also arranged for 2000 volunteers to ensure crowd control and security to replace PAS' Unit Amal which was responsible for that in previous Bersih rallies. [32] [100] New Hope Movement (GHB) will organised around 500 volunteers called the Amal Relief, [101] while People's Justice Party will be sending 700 of their Youth Wing AMK SKUAD to help keep order and security for the rally. [102] On Day 2, former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Dr. Siti Hasmah, attended the Bersih 4 rally, the rally saw tens of thousands demonstrating for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation. [103]
The authorities have refused to grant a permit to Bersih to hold the rally at Padang Merdeka in Kuching and advised Bersih to seek alternative venues. [104] [105] Bersih has insisted that the rally in Padang Merdeka will go ahead despite the government's refusal to give them a permit, [106] otherwise they have suggested the rally would be Song Kheng Hai recreational ground or Jubilee Ground Stadium. [107] Bersih has been given the approval by the authorities to hold the Kuching rally at Song Kheng Hai field at Song Kheng Hai Food and Recreational Centre. [108] [109]
Bersih Sabah had announced that the Bersih rally would be at Tanjung Lipat waterfront esplanade on 29 Aug and will be much shorter than the Kuala Lumpur rally. Bersih has explained that the site is suitable to accommodate overnight camping and the number of interactive programmes planned during the rally. [110] [111] The rally here has been dubbed "Democracy Fest". [112] [113] However, due to mixed signals by the police, Bersih Sabah has announced that they will not be announcing the venue of rally in Kota Kinabalu due to police actions in previous rallies. [24] [114] The police has also released a statement that the Bersih rally at Tanjung Lipat will not be allowed to go ahead, reasoning that City Hall has not given Bersih permission to hold the rally there. [115] [116]
The group Global Bersih, based in Geneva representing the Malaysian diaspora around the world will be organising solidarity events in 50 cities around the world in support of the Bersih 4 rallies in Malaysia. [117] [118] Global Bersih has reported threats and intimidation against would-be participants around the world, including reports of Malaysian scholarship students abroad receiving threats of their scholarships being revoked if they participated in solidarity rallies. [119] [120]
Hundreds of rally-goers began assembling at the four gathering points in the city several hours ahead of the start of the rally at 2pm on the first day. [121] It was estimated there were 250,000 participants who attended the rally in Kuala Lumpur on the first day, while at the low end the police estimate the crowd was 25,000. [122] [123] Unlike the previous rallies, the police did not mobilise the Federal Reserve Unit or use water cannons and tear gas on the protesters, but placed them on standby. [124] [125] After various events on the first day which included speeches and exercise activities, hundreds of participants began bedding down for the night in tents and sleeping mats in areas around the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka. [126] [127]
It was reported that unknown individuals had given out suspect packet drinks to participants causing 16 of the rally goers to suffer food poisoning. [6] [128] Bersih has said this was an act of sabotage, with the discovery of needle holes in the packet drinks. [129]
In Kuching, thousands of rally goers began assembling at several points of the city before making their way to the Tanjung Lipat waterfront: Song Kheng Hai rugby field, Sabah Trade Centre, Hakka Association Hall and City mosque and Plaza Juta. [130] Many of participants began listening to speeches and poetry recitals before preparing barbecue sets, mattresses and tents for the overnight stay at Song Kheng Hai field. [131] [132]
In Kota Kinabalu, thousands of Bersih supporters showed up at the Taman Teluk Likas II park where they began to organise activities and events. [133] Many supporters stayed overnight at the park, in preparation for the main event the next day which was the 'walk for democracy', whereby participants would converge on Kota Kinabalu city centre. [134] However, due to police cordoning and putting up barricades in many spots around the city, the participants had to end their rally early on the second day after trying to make detours. [133] [135] [136]
Thousands of rally-goers have been seen gathering in more than 70 [137] [138] cities around the globe in solidarity with the Bersih rallies in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. [139] The rallies have taken place in the following cities: [140]
The event at the Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia drew over 5,000 people in support of the rally. [141]
It was reported in a few separate incidents that 26 people were arrested wearing the Bersih 4 yellow T-shirts in Malacca and Nilai, Negri Sembilan, and also had their shirts confiscated. [142] [143] [144] [145] [146]
Bersih has mentioned they might hold a fifth Bersih rally if their demands are not met. [3] Bersih has proposed that transitional government be set up to bring about core institutional reforms, such as clean up the electoral roll, look into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and to call for fresh elections within 12 to 18 months. [147]
A counter rally was held by National Silat Federation (PESAKA) on 16 September (Malaysia Day) to support the premiership of Najib Razak. [148] [149] However the rally's motive has been questioned due to the fact that the rally goers are predominantly Malays and that it is racial in nature. [150] [151] [152] The rally organiser, also an UMNO Supreme Council member, Annuar Musa has admitted that the rally was racist in nature and participants were paid to take part in the rally. [153] [154] [155]
Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak is a Malaysian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia from 2009 to 2018. In 2020, he was convicted of corruption in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, one of the largest money-laundering and embezzlement scandals in history. He is the son of former prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein. Najib Razak was the chairman of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition from April 2009 to May 2018 and the president of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) from November 2008 to May 2018, which had maintained control of Malaysia's government with a parliamentary majority for more than sixty years until the coalition's defeat in the 2018 general election.
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Election or Bersih is a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which seeks to reform the current electoral system in Malaysia to improve its democracy by ensuring free, clean and fair elections among other reforms.
General elections were held in Malaysia on Sunday, 5 May 2013. Voting took place in all 222 parliamentary constituencies, each electing one MP to the Dewan Rakyat, the dominant house of Parliament. State elections also took place in 505 state constituencies in 12 of the 13 states on the same day. The elections were the first since Najib Razak became Prime Minister in 2009.
The Malaysian Insider was a Malaysian bilingual news site. During its peak, it ranked consistently as one of the country's 100 most popular websites. In June 2009, Alexa ranked it as Malaysia's 57th most popular website. Compete.com estimated that it had almost 19,000 unique visitors in April 2009.
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Abdul Gani bin Patail is a Malaysian prosecutor. He was the Attorney General of Malaysia from 2002 to 2015, the first from Sabah to hold the position.
Clare Rewcastle Brown is a British environmental and anti-corruption journalist and activist who uncovered the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. Born in the former British Crown Colony of Sarawak, she is the founder and operator of the Sarawak Report blog and Radio Free Sarawak which have exposed corruption driving deforestation and human rights violations in that state along with failures in the global financial systems which facilitate kleptocracy. In 2015 she shifted her focus to the federal government of Malaysia and the country's prime minister, Najib Razak. Her blog Sarawak Report gained widespread recognition for its original and early exposure of the 1MDB scandal, which contributed to increased scrutiny of Najib's Barisan Nasional government, culminating in its loss in the 2018 elections.
The Bersih 2.0 rally was a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur held on 9 July 2011 as a follow-up to the 2007 Bersih rally. The rally, organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), was supported by Pakatan Rakyat, the coalition of the three largest opposition parties in Malaysia, but was deemed illegal by the government. Bersih, chaired by former president of the Bar Council Ambiga Sreenevasan, were pushing the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC) to ensure free and fair elections in Malaysia. It demanded that the EC clean up the electoral roll, reform postal voting, use indelible ink, introduce a minimum 21-day campaign period, allow all parties free access to the media, and put an end to electoral fraud.
Sarawak Report is an investigative journalism website focused on environmental and corruption issues in Malaysia. It has been largely self-published and operated from London since 2010 by Clare Rewcastle Brown. The blog had originally focused on the welfare of the indigenous people in Sarawak but eventually published original exposés on corruption scandals in wider Malaysia. In 2017, it gained wide recognition for its original and early exposure of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal, which had led the Najib Razak-led Malaysian government to block the website. The blog was openly critical of the Barisan Nasional-led state and federal governments of Sarawak and Malaysia, and supportive of the Pakatan Harapan opposition.
The Bersih 3.0 rally was the largest democratic protest in Malaysia. This rally was organised as a follow-up to the 2011 Bersih rally and the 2007 Bersih rally. The rally, organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), was supported by Pakatan Rakyat, the coalition of the three largest opposition parties in Malaysia along with other small political parties like Parti Sosialis Malaysia and social organisations such as Malaysian Trades Union Congress, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and Malaysian Bar. In addition, Bersih 3.0 was endorsed by 84 NGOs. In particular, it was joined by Himpunan Hijau, a civil movement protesting the Lynas rare earth project in Malaysia. In addition to the main rally at Kuala Lumpur, smaller rallies were held in 10 other cities in Malaysia, as well as in 34 other countries. Following the last rally in 2011, the government of Malaysia organised a Public Select Committee (PSC) to look into electoral reforms in Malaysia, which released their proposals in April 2012. Seven of the eight demands by the Bersih have been included in the 22 recommendations submitted by the PSC. PSC Committee member P. Kamalanathan said only one demand by Bersih, on a minimum 21 days campaign period, was not included because it was not suitable to be implemented in Sabah and Sarawak. However, the matter was still being considered, where the current campaign period of seven days had been extended to 10 days. Bersih claimed that PSC proposals were half-hearted and accused the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC) of being insincere in introducing electoral reforms. Bersih has stated that they would call off the rally if the Malaysian government gave a guarantee that electoral reforms take place before the next Malaysian general elections.
The People's Uprising rally or Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (Malay) was a rally that was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 12 January 2013. The rally was held by various Malaysian opposition-friendly non-governmental organisations and opposition parties in opposition to many of the government policies and decisions that have been claimed by left-wing supporters to be unfair and affecting the Malaysian populace. The main venue that the organisers have chosen for the rally is Stadium Merdeka. The event was also known as the KL 112 rally, where the numbers indicate the date of the event.
The following lists events from 2015 in Malaysia.
The May Day Anti-GST Rally was a rally held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 1, 2015. The rally was organised by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, including Oppressed People's Network, Parti Sosialis Malaysia, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia, and Asalkan Bukan UMNO among others, and was supported by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat. The rally, which coincided with International Workers' Day, was held in response to the Malaysian government's rollout of the goods and services tax from April 1, 2015. The rally saw participants march from various points in Kuala Lumpur to their eventual destination, Kuala Lumpur City Centre.
Events in 2016 in Malaysia.
The Malay Dignity rally was a rally that took place on 16 September 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The rally was organised by National Silat Federation, a silat Melayu federation of Malaysia. The rally aimed to counter the Bersih 4 rally and to show support for the incumbent Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak and his government. 16 September is the day of Malaysia's establishment. The rally organiser, also an UMNO Supreme Council member, Annuar Musa admitted that the rally was racist in nature and participants were paid to take part in the rally. Medias reported that some of the participants who were ferried into Kuala Lumpur by buses from various parts of the country revealed they were clueless about the purpose of the rally, saying they were given the red T-shirts, while an independent polling centre found that only 24% of Malays supported the rally, and 53% opposed it.
The Anti-TPPARally or Perhimpunan Aman Bantah TPPA (Malay) is a rally that was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on January 23, 2016. The rally was organised by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, Bantah TPPA and Kongres Rakyat, and supported by various non-governmental organisations. The rally was held in response to the Malaysian government's signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in which twelve countries, namely Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, Vietnam and including Malaysia concluded the trade negotiations in Atlanta on October 5, 2015. Opponents of the agreement argued that although TPPA could increase Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it was at the people's expense as it does not take into account issues faced by the people. The rally saw participants march from various points in Kuala Lumpur to their eventual destination, Dataran Merdeka.
Mohd Fahmi Reza bin Mohd Zarin is a Malaysian political graphic designer, street artist and documentary filmmaker. He is best known for depicting Malaysia's then Prime Minister, Najib Razak, as a clown. He is also known for portraying Malaysian politicians, whom most of them are accused to corruption charges in a satirical way and has seen been arrested multiple times since the clown portrayal of Najib.
2018 in Malaysia is Malaysia's 61st anniversary of its independence and 55th anniversary of Malaysia's formation.
The Bersih 5 rally was a peaceful democratic protest in Malaysia, supported by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), which took place on 19 November 2016. The rally was held calling for a new and cleaner electoral system in Malaysia. A Bersih convoy was also launched and targeted all parts of Malaysia to raise awareness of the current democratic problems nationwide.
Events in the year 2022 in Malaysia.
The 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal is an ongoing political scandal in Malaysia, in which then-Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of channeling over RM 2.67 billion into his personal bank accounts from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a government-run strategic development company. 1MDB was overseen by Najib as head of its advisory board. Following repeated calls for resignation by the public, Najib lost power in the 2018 Malaysian general election, and is currently on trial along with several key figures involved.