Bersih To Hold Rally Tomorrow To Demand Reform Promises From Anwar’s Government
The rally will be held at Plaza Tugu Negara at 8am.
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If you have been following Malaysian politics for the past two decades, you would have definitely heard about the Bersih rallies.
The non-governmental organisation (NGO) is set to stage another rally tomorrow (27 February) at Plaza Tugu Negara at 8am.
The objective of this rally is to demand for a 100 percent of the reformation promises from the government.
“Wear Black or Yellow clothes. See you there,” Bersih announced.
🚨 JOM! Sertai aksi PERTAMA kami untuk menuntut #Reformasi100Peratus di Plaza Tugu Negara pada 27/2 (Selasa), 8 pagi. Pakai baju HITAM atau KUNING. Jumpa anda di sana! pic.twitter.com/VbV6EGZM1b
— BERSIH (@bersihofficial) February 24, 2024
According to Bersih, the reason the rally is being held on a Tuesday morning is because it would be easier to get the ministers’ attention before they head to Parliament.
📣 Kenapa aksi unjuk rasa hari Selasa awal pagi? 📣
— BERSIH (@bersihofficial) February 25, 2024
Hari pertama perbahasan ✅
Sidang mula pukul 10 pagi ✅
Nak bawa perhatian MP sebelum masuk Parlimen ✅
Sabtu/ Ahad: MP balik kawasan, Parlimen kosong ❌
Faisal Abdul Aziz, the chairman of Bersih, stated that Malaysia was going through a crucial “democratic transition” and that all parties needed to work together to implement changes.
“Bersih will not hesitate to mobilise the people back to the streets, a ‘language’ comprehensible to those in power who have been dismissing the people’s aspirations with excuses against supporting reforms,” he said as reported by FMT.
BERSIH
Originally known as the Joint Action Committee for Electoral Reform, Bersih stands for the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections. It was founded in 2005.
Its goals were to push for fair and clean elections and to change Malaysia’s electoral system. 2006 saw the release of Bersih’s first unified communiqué, which comprised political parties and civil society organisations.
The November 2007 public rally was a turning point in Malaysia’s electoral history. In addition to examining and improving democratic institutions for political stability,
Bersih is still fighting for free, fair, and transparent elections today, regardless of political affiliation.
Public Advised Not To Attend
While Bersih is calling out the people for the rally, the Kuala Lumpur police have advised the public not to attend the rally.
According to Kuala Lumpur police chief Allaudeen Abdul Majid, the organisers have not yet submitted the required 10-day notice of the assembly as mandated by law, which makes it an offence under the law.
“Hence, we are advising the public against taking part in any gathering that contravenes the law. Stern action will be taken,” he said as reported by FMT.
Bersih responded to this by stating that it is legal to have a peaceful assembly as stated in the Federal Constitution.
“The Federal Constitution guarantees the right of the People to assemble peacefully and without arms. The joint responsibility of the organizers and the police is to maintain security and ensure that the assembly runs smoothly without disruption/provocation,” Bersih said in a Twitter post.
Perlembagaan Persekutuan menjamin
— BERSIH (@bersihofficial) February 25, 2024
hak Rakyat untuk berhimpun dengan aman dan tanpa senjata. Tanggungjawab bersama penganjur dan polis adalah menjaga keselamatan dan pastikan himpunan berjalan lancar tanpa gangguan/provokasi. 🫡✌️ https://t.co/5FLxKKwTkO pic.twitter.com/pHMqkyAll8
No Stranger To Street Protests
While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said to students at a discussion last year there was no need for street rallies, he himself is no stranger to protests, including Bersih.
In 2012, Anwar was charged in court with attending the Bersih 3.0 rally but was later handed a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
While serving his jail term, Anwar through PKR urged Malaysians to participate in the 2016 Bersih rally.
Last year however, during a discussion with students of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Anwar said there was “no need” to resort to street rallies. He reasoned that in the 70s and 80s, students had no outlets to express their displeasure which was why they took it to the streets, as reported by Focus Malaysia.
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