Bersih hands over reform demands to MPs after march to Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) delivered a memorandum containing the electoral watchdog’s demands to federal lawmakers today, after a march to Parliament to signify growing impatience with the pace of reforms in the country.

The group gave four lawmakers — Selayang MP William Leong Jee Keen, Sungai Petani MP Mohammed Taufiq Johari, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim and Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh — the document with demands such as the separation of the attorney general’s powers, the restoration of Parliament’s independence, and the end of preventive detention laws, among others.

“We will not rest until we get what we want.

“When you say you want to do all this reform, it doesn’t mean you just give a slogan right? You need to give a very clear timeline.

“We want them to debate all the reform agenda that as promised before,” Bersih deputy chairman Wong Yan Ke told Malay Mail.

Other reforms demanded included transparency over the appointment of a new Election Commission chairman to replace the incumbent later this year, as well as a political financing law.

Earlier, the group of nearly 100 attendees, many of whom wore black and yellow to signify their participation in the march, began gathering at the Plaza Tugu Negara, before making their way towards Parliament.

Along Jalan Parlimen, they shouted chants that included “Demand reform”, “One-hundred per cent reform!”, and “Reject DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal)!” as they marched near motorists.

Despite earlier warnings that the organisers did not provide the required notice under the Peaceful Assembly Act, police officers deployed to the event made no arrests and facilitated the march where needed.

Among attendees of the march were youth activists including members of the Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany).

Later, Wong said the low turnout was expected as the march was held on a weekday, and that it was only intended to be a small rally.

The march had to be held today to coincide with the start of the year’s first parliamentary meeting, he added.

NGOs Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) and Aliran were also part of the march while the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and the Malaysian Bar were present as observers.

Earlier this month, Bersih warned the national unity government that the group could launch another of its mass protests unless there were visible efforts to deliver on reforms previously promised in their election manifestos, saying it would be monitoring the government’s legislative progress during this parliamentary meeting.

Electoral watchdog Bersih has organised five massive protests considered to be inflection points in the evolution of Malaysia’s political landscape, beginning with the first in 2007.

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