The countdown clock over Bersih 2.0's website shows that it's less than 14 hours to go before the D-Day comes. Yes, people around the world knows that there will be a rally scheduled on July 9th, 2pm at Stadium Merdeka as a show of protest to pressure the government (especially Election Commission or SPR) to implement well-needed electoral reform. Events happened for the past few weeks are full of dramas and intrigues from arrests of volunteers, intention of counter-protests by "Patriots" KJ and PERKO...I mean PERKASA's Ibrahim Ali, Declaration of "War" by some Silat master group, more arrests, paranoia of the institution towards anything yellow by painting it as 很黄很暴力, and very actively campaign over cyberspace especially Facebook. Just as everything is going to reach a boiling point...His Majesty Yang Dipertuan Agong has released timely, carefully worded decree by asking everyone to act in restraint.
Immediately the day after, His Majesty actually granted audience to Bersih 2.0 Coordinators to discuss the issues over and right the meeting with His Majesty, Bersih 2.0 has opted for a compromise: instead of rally on the street (the original plan was to parade all the way to Istana Negara like last time back in 2008 but since His Majesty has granted audience...), they will proceed with the scheduled rally in a stadium, ideally Stadium Merdeka. While the counter protest groups called off their plans in line with His Majesty's decree, the folk of Bersih 2.0 camp was immediately divided. The genuine optimistic half feels that this is breakthrough because unlike last time, His Majesty actually responded to the situation (no matter how carefully worded it was) and Bersih 2.0 Coordinator was granted audience with His Majesty directly to voice out their concerns, giving the impression that His Majesty is indeed genuinely concerned and consented the justification of the rally. The annoying negative half however feels that this is a setback and the rally should go on a street, not a cordoned area of a stadium. Some of them actually said that His Majesty has abused his power in the intervening with the WILL of PEOPLE and some of them actually said that they were let down by Bersih 2.0 because of ceding to His Majesty's decree. The only thing I will say to those negative half: SUCK IT UP, WINGNUTS. These pricks that bellow continuously about INJUSTICE and OPPRESSION and PEOPLE'S WILL is what I consider as RAVING PARANOIACS with DELUSION OF GRANDEUR as large as the UNIVERSE itself combined with seemingly boundless VICTIMIZATION COMPLEX spruced with extremely BLOATED SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT as if the government has to wipe you ass clean whenever you took a dump. Yes, those of YOU who feel offended by this statement. YOU who enjoys going around labeling everybody else who didn't your cause as spineless cowards. Because of you wingnuts, all the hardwork by the genuinely concerned positive half has gone down the drain. Thank you for alienating the middle Malaysia and see you tomorrow in Starbucks and McDonald. Mainland Chinese Internet Neologism of the Day: 粪青. You can try and search for its meaning and it's a very apt description of the my rant's target, the negative whiny pricks.
*breath in. rant ends*
Anyway, just as the mood has started to fizzle down, it bubbles back up again when The Merdeka Heritage Trust, the body responsible for the management of Merdeka Stadium has refused to grant permission to Bersih 2.0 to organize their rally there while the authorities banned 91 individuals (across all spectrum from KJ and Ibrahim Ali and respective cahoots but consists mostly of Bersih 2.0 camp) from physically present in certain location in Kuala Lumpur while arrests continues and police presence can be felt across Greater KL with roadblocks at strategic entry point. Nevertheless, the Bersih 2.0 Coordinators is definitely undeterred and will proceed with their rally at Stadium Merdeka in the next 14 hours. For the people who remained optimistic and genuine concerned, I salute your determination. Be safe and please watch out for rabid wingnuts, saboteurs, tear gas and water cannon. I can only hope, however remotely, that the event will proceed amicably and no hurts get themselves hurt. Someone actually made this simple guideline on how to proceed with the rally safely so for hopeful demonstrators, read up!
Now with all the hullaballoos going on for the past week (no thanks to both authorities and wingnuts), it seems that everyone's attention has been shifted away from the core issue namely the Eight Demands of Bersih 2.0. Just to refresh the memory for everyone about what exactly is the purpose of Bersih 2.0, let's scrutinize all the eight demands one by one with my personal two cents.
1. Cleaning up the electoral roll.
There are numerous allegation and evidence of irregularities in the electoral roll (but I am curious though: where did those who made these allegation got those allegedly irregular IC numbers to check over the SPR online database anyway?) that which all leads back to SPR's ineptitude in cleaning up and management of electoral roster. According to SPR's official explanation with regards to updating electoral rolls, SPR is dependent of other government departments to provide information regarding the status of voters as well as public's own initiative to inform SPR in order to update the electoral roster. The electoral roster will be updated every quarter of a year and will be approved if they receive no objection about removal of voters from the electoral roster. Obviously the most sensible option to overcome the challenge of updating electoral roster is to integrate the electoral roster with Registration Department's Identification Card Database thus paving the way for automatic voter registration (the long term) demand by Bersih 2.0 by making the best out of our IC while keeping the electoral frequently updated with information from Registration Department. While waiting for implementation of automatic voter registration though, it's good to know the place in which one can register as a voter or to update information about self which SPR helpfully listed right here. Remember: post office is your friend and your IC (even if SPR haven't intergrate their database with registration department) is your pass to vote.
2. Reform Postal Ballot
I support fully of Bersih 2.0 demand of expanding access of postal vote for people who were outside their constituency during polling day (due to attachment of work and such). This demand is especially meaningful for the Bornean Diaspora over the Peninsula because of work or further studies in which yours truly is one of them. I was somewhat dismayed when I was unable to return home to vote in Sarawak State Election last April because of financial constraint. (Last minute air ticket is expensive.) A lot of countries out there actually implement adsentee ballot (in which postal voting is one of them) with differing rules so I think SPR can be creative in implementing these examples in Malaysian context. Together with adsentee ballot, SPR can also implements early voting (or at least, have more polling days) by for example recruiting help from post office or setting up special polling station at selected location. (Here's an example from Way Down Under.) Of course this will involve logistical, management and security issues but these are good ideas which can be pondered upon.
3. Use of Indelible Ink.
Back in 2008, SPR actually planned to introduced indelible ink for the GE last time to mark voters after they cast their vote to prevent repeated voting but reneged at the last minute due to allegation of sabotage by certain quarter to deliberately mark voters earlier thus preventing them to vote which then violated one's right to vote and what not. (What happened later on 8 March...is another story.) This is what I call a classic case of flip-flop and there is a news that says that SPR is reconsidering biometric scan in IC during polling day, the very one they rejected the last time the plan to introduce indelible ink! I would say before they implement whatever biometric fingerprint scan identification thing, please integrate the electoral roster with Registration Department's National IC database. Otherwise, just one a daub of indelible ink on finger nails. Make sure use the one that's actually indelible instead of some cheapo marker pen ink.
4. Minimum 21 Day Campaign Period.
I think this is a sensible demand in order for voters to learn about their candidates and platforms in details and while it might be nuisance for campaign posters and banner littered around the neighbourhood but it's a nuisance worth endured. Information can be relayed much more effectively and in less bombastic manner as well as being able to flesh out the campaign promise in vivid details. While there might be concerns for logistic and campaign funding, this is for the competing party to sort it out themselves. The priority here should be about voters awareness in the candidate they will be voting for.
5. Free and Fair Access to Media
I think what Bersih 2.0 meant with this demand is for more space/exposure on mainstream mass media such as newspaper and broadcasting. It's a fact that mass media in Malaysia are all ideologically motivated leaning towards the establishment. This is why the current opposition largely retreated themselves and continuously thrived with the so-called "independent" but otherwise equally ideologically motivated alternative, online media. The tension between pro-establishment mainstream media with the anti-establishment alternative media does nothing else but alienate the fence sitting voters with both sides of the media war huddled only to their hardcore supporter while churning out "news" spruced with own ideological agenda. In terms of fair report, I think both sides are equally guilty. Back to a more balanced report on mainstream media, what broadcasters like RTM should implement in the next election is party political broadcast by allocating air times for all political parties to elaborate their manifesto and/or campaign ads on national television. Both mainstream and alternative media outlets should practice restraint and impartiality in report too and not concentration on tantalizing, unsubstantiated allegations and rumours which they peddled as "news". (Yes I have low regards to Malaysian mass media industry. They all failed in educating the public. Reflecting the people's will my foot.)
6, 7 and 8. Strengthen Public Institution, Stop Corruption and Stop Dirty Politics.
I grouped the last three together because these three are of more generic, wide ranging demand but otherwise still justifiable. Public institutions (especially SPR with regards to election but also other institutions like MACC/SPRM, Judiciary and Attorney General, and law enforcement agencies) deserve more independence in carrying out their duty to defend public interest while being held accountable not just to the establishment but instead more towards the public in whatever they're doing. As for stopping dirty politics, these requires cooperation from all sides including political parties of all spectrum to refrain self from conducting negative campaigning against each other but instead engage each other constructively in policy debate, media (alternative and mainstream) to stop perpetuating and spreading false news and slander and instead reports and scrutinizes each of the party's policy in order to educate the public, monitoring bodies such as SPR in keeping an eye on all campaign to minimize negative campaign and not to mention public themselves to be impartial while assessing campaign promises and proposed policies as well as keen in seeking out more information before casting the ballot. It's generic, catch all demand so everyone has to play a part in ensuring these demands happen.
In conclusion, these eight demands by Bersih 2.0, as simplistic as it may be for the ease of plebspunters to understand (I do feel it can be fleshed out better), does have its own justification. Let's just hope that whatever that's gonna happen as the sun rise, it will be for the best of public interest and the situation will be amicable with everyone going home safe and sound. I would personally prefer Bersih 2.0 to function like Electoral Reform Society in United Kingdom, the world's oldest electoral reform pressure group to carry out research and demand of electoral reform (it actually contains much more dimension that you think! I originally planned to cover more aspects of electoral reform in this post with relation to Malaysian context but after I went through the Bersih 2.0 Demands, I realized that it's actually much more simplistic than I was expected. Too much of a high hope I guess) in a much detailed, refined manner but if the current government still refuses engage with Bersih 2.0 constructively and continues to ostracize them as extremist (it's a fact that they have wingnuts in their camp. In fact, every organization has their own wingnuts. Just because there are wingnuts making a havoc doesn't mean that the core issues should be ignored), then I supposed there's no other way for Bersih 2.0 to voice out grievance excepting holding a demonstration/rally. Electoral reform is indeed an issue worth scrutinizing of.
Epilogue: It's only 12 hours left to the Bersih 2.0 Rally as I finished with this post. I've spent more than three hours typing away non-stop in front of my lappie just to come up with resources and ideas for this posts and one long blogpost in one shot always strained my brain processing capacity. I guess I can only HURR DURR for tomorrow. Looks like I still failed to grasp the concept of organisation as I am having my priority all wrong: I didn't even spent this much time in one seating in reading up books for my research and working on my thesis. I am such a screw up. Looks like it will be another week before I have enough motivations, ideas and material to work on another blogpost. Good night everyone. Sleep tight.
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