The Bersih 2.0 rally (also called the Walk for Democracy) 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.
The police vowed to stop any rallies from taking place on the planned date on the grounds that all public gatherings without police permits are illegal. Having originally planned to march through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Bersih decided to hold its rally at Merdeka Stadium after consultations with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Malaysia's head of state.
Supporters of Bersih claim that demands for electoral reform made during the 2007 demonstration fell on deaf ears. UMNO Youth and Perkasa planned counter-rallies, dismissing Bersih's demands for electoral reform, but Perkasa called off its counter-rally due to its inability to secure a venue and permit.
Estimates of the turnout ranged between 10,000 and over 20,000. The protesters were unable to congregate at Merdeka Stadium as many were forced to disperse by police who were heavily deployed throughout the city. Police arrested more than 1600 protesters, including Ambiga and several opposition figures.
Background The ruling coalition in Malaysia, Barisan Nasional (BN), which consists of parties representing the major racial groups in Malaysia, has won every federal election since independence in 1957. Opposition parties and civil society organisations have long claimed that BN has been manipulating elections in its favour.
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) deputy president Mohamad Sabu said there were many "concerns" about how the next general election will be conducted. He accused BN of cheating tactics, including registering foreign nationals as BN voters. PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the EC and the National Registration Department (NRD) "were committing abuses," and that there were "rampant media abuses." Democratic Action Party (DAP) member of parliament Teresa Kok accused BN of "gerrymandering" and "malapportioning" electoral constituencies. She also pointed out how the opposition parties' share of seats in parliament was a lot less than their share of the popular vote. Leader of the Opposition Anwar Ibrahim claimed that BN would lose power if elections were free and fair.
Civil society organisation Aliran claimed that there are "severe restrictions on political freedom" on opposition politicians in Malaysia. It highlighted structural problems such as access to the media, short notices of election dates, and short campaign periods. Human rights group SUARAM also claim abuses by the ruling party such as gerrymandering constituencies, using public funds for projects to win political support, and the "unscrutinised" counting of postal ballots. Transparency International's Malaysian branch, criticising both BN and opposition parties, spoke out against financial rewards promised by political parties to voters while campaigning, calling the practice "vote buying" and "corrupt."
Both the Election Commission and BN have denied allegations of abuse.
Protests in Malaysia Street demonstrations are rare in Malaysia, but the public has become more vocal with the rise of alternative media and a resurgent opposition. Gatherings in Malaysia of five or more people must receive a police permit, which is rarely granted. The government has used heavy police presence to block rallies as well as arrest protest leaders to stop illegal public protests. Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was willing to sacrifice public freedoms in the interest of national stability. Four rallies in 2007 ended with arrests made by police. A protest in 2009 against the Internal Security Act was also broken up by tear gas and water cannons.
Bersih
Bersih, short for the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (), is a coalition of 62 non-governmental organisations founded in November 2006. Since its founding, Bersih has been supported by the three main opposition parties, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), PAS, and DAP. Bersih is the Malay word for "clean" in reference to the claims of large scale corruption in the leading party.
The first Bersih rally on 10 November 2007 was estimated to have drawn between 30,000 and 50,000 people. It was broken up by police using tear gas and chemical-laced water cannons. The rally was said to play a major role in helping the opposition parties make big gains in the 2008 general election.
Bersih 2.0, as the organisation branded itself for the 2011 rally, is chaired by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan. Ambiga served as president of the Bar from 2007 to 2009 and is a recipient of the US State Department's International Women of Courage Awards.
Demands Ambiga has summed up the main issues raised by the organisation she leads as "unhappiness... in the Sarawak [election], unhappiness about corruption, [and] unhappiness about the independence of our institutions." She said demands made during the first rally in 2007 have not been addressed, hence the follow-up rally.
The communiqué issued by Bersih issued in 2007 called for reforms to Malaysia's first-past-the-post electoral system, ensuring the independence of the Election Commission (EC), eliminating electoral practices deemed unfair to opposition candidates, eliminating corrupt campaign practices, equal access to the media for all political parties, and instituting a caretaker government during election periods, among others in the long term.
The 2011 rally's immediate demands were: Clean the electoral roll Reform postal voting Use of indelible ink A minimum campaign period of 21 days Free and fair access to mainstream media Strengthen public institutions Stop corruption Stop dirty politics
After agreeing to abandon plans for a street demonstration, Bersih also called for a Royal Commission into election practices.
Plans The rally's original plan was to have protesters gather at the KL Sogo shopping center, Kuala Lumpur City Hall building, and the Kampung Baru Mosque before marching to the Istana Negara to deliver a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. After consultations with the King, Bersih decided to hold the rally in a stadium instead. However, their request to use Merdeka Stadium was rejected by police. Bersih accused the government of reneging on a previous offer to let them rally in a stadium instead of the streets.
Bersih insisted on gathering at Merdeka Stadium, despite preventative measures taken by police.
Abroad Simultaneous rallies in support of Bersih were planned by Malaysian citizens in more than 30 cities in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Egypt, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, the United States and Cambodia.
Lead-up to the rally
Announcement After frustration at by being shut out of observing the April 2011 Sarawak election, Bersih announced in a press release on 26 May that it had decided to organise a gathering on 9 July to press for electoral reform.
Counter-rallies
Perkasa Malay Supremacy movement Perkasa spoke out strongly against the rally. On 15 June, Perkasa announced that it had secured the support of over 30 non-governmental organisations and challenged Bersih organisers over who could stage a bigger rally on 9 July. It called on Bersih to cancel its rally, warning that clashes might occur. Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali warned "[If they proceed] there will be a clash. If that happens, it is for the better."
On 19 June, Perkasa held a gathering to protest the Bersih rally and to launch an opposing coalition of NGOs known as Gerak Aman. During the gathering, images of Ambiga—described by flyers as "a dangerous Hindu woman"—were burned, while Ibrahim warned the Chinese community not to participate in the Bersih rally.
On 8 July, Perkasa announced the cancellation of its counter-rally due to its inability to secure a venue and a police permit.
UMNO Youth UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin announced that UMNO Youth will hold another rally on the same day (known as the "Patriot Rally" or Himpunan Patriot) to "strengthen the democratic system" and show that "the voice of the people does not belong only to the opposition." He added that they had "a right to assembly guaranteed by the constitution."
Khairy and Ibrahim became involved in a war of words over the latter's comments on regarding the Chinese community, with each side calling for the other to be investigated under the Sedition Act. Ibrahim later backtracked from his comments.
UMNO Youth's plan was to gather at Bukit Bintang and possibly march towards Merdeka Stadium.
Election Commission reaction Bersih's demands were repeatedly dismissed by the Election Commission (EC), who sought to tie the organisation to the opposition's agenda. EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar claimed Bersih was working with Pakatan Rakyat to "overthrow the government." In turn, Ambiga criticised the EC's conduct, asking them to remain independent from politics.
On 20 June, the EC extended an offer to Bersih to meet and discuss its demands, on the condition that the rally be called off. He claimed that during a previous meeting with Bersih in 2010, it had agreed that its demands were met. Bersih rejected the EC's offer.
Speaking to reporters while observing the Thai general election in July, Abdul Aziz said the EC was considering allowing international observers to monitor the next Malaysian general election.
Government reaction Prime minister Najib Razak warned that Bersih would be responsible if chaos ensued from the rally. Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein warned against the rally, fearing the chaos that might ensue. He affirmed on 7 June that the rally was "illegal," and urged the organisers to call it off. He promised to clamp down on demonstrators if they threatened national security. On 22 June, he confirmed that none of the three rallies would receive police permits to hold gatherings on 9 July.
The government also outlawed the wearing and distribution of Bersih's yellow shirts and declared Bersih an illegal organisation under Section 5 of the Societies Act 1966. Bersih countered that as a coalition of groups it need not be registered.
Najib initially offered Bersih the opportunity of holding the rally in a stadium instead of the streets. The government later rejected Bersih's request to hold the rally at Merdeka Stadium, and asked them to use a stadium in Selangor instead. However, the Sultan of Selangor had previously condemned demonstrations.
Opposition reaction PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu gave the rally his party's full backing. Calling the event the "Walk for Democracy," he asked for 300,000 PAS members to attend the gathering. PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang ordered all of its members (numbering one million) to join the rally. The Leader of the Opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, will also take part in the rally. The DAP also pledged support for the rally.
On 19 June, Anwar reportedly told members of his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) that he would ask Ambiga to cancel the rally if the government met Bersih's demands. His statement was rebuffed by Ambiga the following day. Anwar later claimed he was misquoted. This incident was criticised by ruling coalition parties, who have argued that the rally is in fact an opposition tool to gain support.