The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (), better known as Bersih ( in Malay), is a Malaysian coalition of civil society organisations advocating electoral and institutional reform. It campaigns on issues including the conduct of elections, electoral boundaries, political financing, voting access, parliamentary reform and the independence of public institutions.
Bersih originated from a joint initiative involving civil society organisations and opposition political parties in the mid-2000s. It issued its first joint communiqué on 23 November 2006 and organised its first major public rally in Kuala Lumpur the following year. In 2010, the coalition was relaunched as Bersih 2.0, an organisation led exclusively by civil society rather than political parties. It became widely known through a series of large demonstrations held between 2007 and 2016 calling for electoral and institutional reforms.
After the 2018 Malaysian general election, Bersih increasingly combined public mobilisation with election observation, policy research, institutional advocacy and engagement with government and opposition representatives. In June 2022, Bersih 2.0 reverted to the name Bersih.
History
Origins and formation, 2005–2006
Bersih developed from the Joint Action Committee for Electoral Reform, which was formed in July 2005. An electoral reform workshop held in Kuala Lumpur in September 2006 brought together civil society organisations and political leaders to formulate a common programme for electoral reform.
On 23 November 2006, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections issued its first joint communiqué. The initial coalition included civil society organisations as well as five political parties: the Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and the Sarawak National Party (SNAP).
Its early campaign focused on the administration of elections by the Election Commission of Malaysia and concerns raised by opposition parties and civil society organisations regarding the electoral roll, constituency boundaries, postal voting and access to the media.
2007 Bersih rally
On 10 November 2007, Bersih organised its first large public demonstration in Kuala Lumpur. It advanced four principal demands:
reform of the electoral roll; introduction of indelible ink; reform of postal voting; and fair access to mass media for political parties.
Participants gathered around Dataran Merdeka and marched towards the former Istana Negara, where a memorandum was submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Estimates of attendance varied. Bersih put participation at approximately 30,000, while official estimates were lower.
Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators and detained more than 200 people in connection with the gathering.
The rally became one of the most prominent civil society demonstrations of the period preceding the 2008 Malaysian general election. Scholars have subsequently examined Bersih as part of the broader development of electoral reform activism and political participation in Malaysia.
Relaunch as Bersih 2.0
In 2010, Bersih was reorganised as a civil society-led coalition independent of political parties and became known as Bersih 2.0.
Ambiga Sreenevasan, a former president of the Malaysian Bar, and national laureate A. Samad Said later served as co-chairpersons. The organisation expanded its demands beyond the mechanics of elections to include the independence of public institutions and broader democratic reforms.
2011 Bersih 2.0 rally
Bersih organised another major demonstration on 9 July 2011. Its eight demands were:
clean the electoral roll; reform postal voting; use indelible ink; provide a minimum 21-day campaign period; provide free and fair access to the media; strengthen public institutions; stop corruption; and stop what Bersih described as "dirty politics".
The campaign was endorsed by dozens of civil society organisations and was accompanied by solidarity gatherings involving Malaysians in cities outside the country.
The government and police opposed a street demonstration. Following an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Bersih agreed to hold the rally at a stadium, although a dispute subsequently arose over access to Stadium Merdeka.
Thousands nevertheless gathered in Kuala Lumpur on 9 July. Police used tear gas and water cannon, and more than 1,600 people were arrested during the operation surrounding the rally.
Bersih 3.0 and electoral reform debate
Following the 2011 rally, the Malaysian government established a Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reform. Its report, containing 22 recommendations, was approved by the Dewan Rakyat in April 2012.
Bersih argued that significant electoral issues remained unresolved and organised the Bersih 3.0 sit-down protest, known as Duduk Bantah, on 28 April 2012. In addition to its earlier demands, Bersih called for changes to the Election Commission and implementation of electoral reforms before the next general election.
The gathering began peacefully but later saw confrontations after some participants crossed police barricades around Dataran Merdeka. Police used tear gas and water cannon. Protesters, journalists and police personnel reported injuries. Accounts of responsibility for the escalation differed between organisers, participants, authorities and news organisations.
The policing of Bersih demonstrations has subsequently been the subject of academic research into public-order policing and the Malaysian state's response to protest movements.
People's Tribunal on GE13
Following the 2013 Malaysian general election, Bersih convened a non-governmental People's Tribunal from 18 to 21 September 2013 to hear testimony concerning the conduct of the election.
The panel was chaired by constitutional scholar Yash Ghai and included international and Malaysian members. The tribunal received submissions on alleged electoral irregularities, constituency boundaries, campaign practices and the administration of the election.
The tribunal did not have judicial authority and its findings represented a civil society assessment rather than a legally binding determination.
Leadership transition and Bersih 4
In November 2013, Maria Chin Abdullah succeeded Ambiga Sreenevasan as chairperson following Bersih 2.0's internal election.
The Bersih 4 rallies were held from 29 to 30 August 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. The demonstrations broadened the movement's agenda to include government accountability and institutional reform in addition to electoral issues.
The Kuala Lumpur gathering continued overnight and attracted a large crowd, although estimates of attendance varied considerably between organisers, police and media organisations.
Bersih 5
The Bersih 5 rally was held in Kuala Lumpur on 19 November 2016 following a nationwide convoy organised by the coalition. Bersih's five principal themes were clean elections, clean government, strengthened parliamentary democracy, the right to dissent and greater empowerment of Sabah and Sarawak.
Police described the rally as peaceful, although estimates of the number of participants again differed substantially between police, organisers and independent observers.
On the eve of the rally, Maria Chin Abdullah was arrested during a police raid on Bersih's office and was subsequently detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA). She was released after ten days in detention.
GE14 and transition after 2018
Ahead of the 2018 Malaysian general election, Bersih 2.0 worked with SUARAM, Pusat KOMAS and other civil society organisations through the PEMANTAU election-monitoring initiative.
The operation trained 100 coordinators across Malaysia and was supported by more than 500 volunteers. It monitored matters including alleged vote buying, the use of government resources, electoral-roll problems, election administration, racial campaigning and political violence.
After the election, Bersih published a detailed observation report. The report incorporated monitoring conducted during the five years preceding the election as well as reports received during the formal campaign period.
The election resulted in the first federal change of government since independence, with Pakatan Harapan defeating Barisan Nasional. Bersih continued operating after the transition and increasingly focused on institutional reform and the conduct of the new government rather than solely campaigning against the previous administration.
Maria Chin left Bersih's leadership after entering electoral politics. In October 2018, Thomas Fann was elected chairperson.
Political instability and reform advocacy, 2020–2022
During the political crisis commonly associated with the Sheraton Move, Bersih opposed the formation of a federal government through the reconfiguration of parliamentary support without a general election and called for institutional safeguards against political defections.
In the following years, Bersih advocated reforms addressing party switching, parliamentary independence, constituency development funding, political appointments and electoral administration. It was among civil society groups pressing for legislation to address party hopping before the next general election.
In 2022, Parliament passed constitutional amendments intended to restrict party switching by Members of Parliament. Bersih continued to argue that anti-hopping provisions should operate alongside broader reforms addressing incentives for defections.
On 18 June 2022, the organisation announced that it would cease using the name Bersih 2.0 and return to Bersih, saying the change was intended to reduce public confusion about its identity.
GE15 election observation
During the 15th general election, Bersih participated in the Election Commission's accredited PEMERHATI election observation programme.
The organisation registered 100 election observers and monitored nomination, early voting and polling in 57 parliamentary constituencies. Separate teams monitored online campaigning and news coverage.
Bersih also operated a public reporting platform for alleged election offences. Its subsequent GE15 observation report classified reports involving issues such as vote buying, gifts, government handouts, use of public resources and campaigning practices.
The findings represented Bersih's monitoring and assessment of reported incidents and were not equivalent to judicial findings of electoral offences.
Leadership dispute and transition, 2023
Thomas Fann was initially returned as chairperson for the 2023–2025 term. Soon after the steering committee election, however, he announced his resignation.
Fann said the results showed a disagreement within the coalition concerning Bersih's future direction. He favoured developing Bersih into what he described as a "people's institution", centred on policy engagement and institutional reform, while deputy chairperson Wong Yan Ke and allied committee members favoured a renewed emphasis on Bersih as a "people's movement", including grassroots mobilisation.
A new chairperson election was held on 15 December 2023. Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz received 23 votes against Gopalan K. Papachan's 22. Representatives of 45 of Bersih's 61 endorsing organisations participated in the ballot.
Reformasi 100 Peratus and renewed mobilisation
On 27 February 2024, Bersih organised a march from the vicinity of the National Monument to Parliament under the banner Reformasi 100 Peratus ("100 Per Cent Reform").
Participants presented a memorandum to government and opposition Members of Parliament calling for the implementation of electoral and institutional reforms. The demands included reforms involving Parliament, the Election Commission, political financing and the separation of the functions of the attorney general and public prosecutor.