- AP Photo/ Lai Seng Sin
VIVAnews - A clash broke between the police and protesters on Saturday, July 9, in Malaysia following mass street protest demanding electoral changes. The Bersih 2.0 rally went uncontrolled after riot police fired tear gas and water cannon and arrested more than 1,600 people to end the protest.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told VIVAnews on Monday, July 10, that he believed the Election Commission (EC) has committed electoral malpractices in the recently concluded state election in Sarawak.
It is not possible to file reports on the fraudulent practices to the special
court for elections. The opposition party has instead had to spend more money for paying fines as a result of the filed lawsuits.
The government controls the media. However, Anwar believes that people will always manage to gain information from alternative media and sources.
VIVAnews interviewed Anwar Ibrahim to get a wider picture of what is really going on in Malaysia. Here are the excerpts:
What did the Saturday mass protest actually want from the government?
We are demanding that malpractices will no longer be committed in the future. In fact, the previous elections had provided no access to the media. We has conveyed the issue for years. The UMNO has always been benefited by the elections.
In what ways were the malpractices done?
There were various ways. For example, there is a house of four people. It was found out that 82 voters were listed coming from the house. They voted for UMNO. Moreover, the opposition was during the campaigning period subject to massive criticisms.
Yet, the opposition was not even given one minute to answer to the discontents on TV.
It is also clear that we the opposition cannot monitor hundreds of the available ballot boxes. The Election Commission also banned local and international electoral monitoring agencies from doing their job. We have also brought the malpractice cases to the special court. But the court sides with UMNO, resulting in unfair decisions.
Should we file more reports to the court, we won't win the cases and we will get huge fines.
Is is true that thousands of people of multiracial backgrounds joined the mass protest?
Yes, it was. And I think it's good for us. The situation will not allow the
government to come up with racial issues. We have in Malaysia many interests involving the Christians, the Hindus, and Moslems, and Malay politicians. But I believe that the Malay ones are still on top of the list.
Nonetheless, how can the Moslems and Malays be proud of themselves if there are still fraud and corruption? The idea turns out to be only a slogan.
Given the protesters of multiple backgrounds, does this affirm that most people are not satisfied with the electoral results?
[The government] may control the media, they may curb the opposition and wipe out the Bersih movement, and they may produce terrible images of me. But, the people can still think positive. They are looking at alternative media. That makes us proud.
Imagine, 50 thousand people are blocked by the police. All entrance roads to Kuala Lumpur are closed. I myself cannot afford to get out of venue. We were faced by shielded police officers at the Hilton Hotel's frontyard. Out of a sudden, gunfires broke, aiming at the protesters and, especially, me.
I was their target. My bodyguard had his face torn off.
I was walking ahead together with party leaders as well as Bersih 2.0
coordinator. [The police] targeted me and the leaders although we're not the bad guys. We're marching with the protesters and were shot without firm reasons. It's obvious that no leaders were permitted to gather with protesters. They did not want peace protest.
Police chief claimed no victims were down during the mass protest. The media reported that only 6,000 protesters were on the streets. The fact is that 50 thousand people joined the rally. The people, who also gained information from alternative media, laughed at the news. The Malaysian government is in denial inasmuch as Egypt was during the Hosni Mubarak administration.
Prime Minister Najib Razak said the protest was illegal. How did you see it?
How come it was illegal? They said so because we're against UMNO. They accused us of becoming agents of Christianity. They claimed Bersih 2.0 was powered by foreign parties. How can it be illegal if the Malaysian King himself invited us to have some talks?
The decision to hold protest at the Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium) was made after we met the King. His excellency wants us to avoid the streets. The protesters refused to accept the idea. However, since it's his excellency's wish, we must abide by king's advice. Pak Najib nodded to the suggestion earlier. But he in the end was against it.
He is not into debates. Up until today, Najib is reluctant to meet with either the opposition or Bersih 2.0. How would he be applauded as a prime minister of a democratic country if he refuses to set up meetings with the representatives of both the opposition and Bersih 2.0?
Najib is making public relations campaigns by hiring an Israel- and US-based PR companies, APCO, by paying 70 million ringgit. This is to show the public that he is a moderate official and solid policy maker on the economy. In fact, he has done injustice to the people.
I'm a moslem. But I'm not pleased upon seeing his building images as a moderate moslem. A moderate moslem does no harm to others and does not discriminate against other religious supporters. A moderate moslem avoids corruption.
Prime Minister Najib said you're behind the mass protest. He also believes that you're gaining supports for the next elections.
It is the people that are mostly concerned with the elections. So, why is he standing in their way? If he wants to get me off the game, why should he deceive the people?
The last protest demands for free and clean elections. Anwar, Ahmad, Saleh, whatsoever, may be elected. But it's the people's business. We're not demanding Anwar to become the Prime Minister. It is clean elections that we want the most.
The Malaysian government has too many phobias. Whatever problems they deal with, they will blame me. Name everything you have in mind: may it be economic, oil price rise, everything.
They would blame me if tourism is stagnant. They would blame me if Malaysia is in dispute with Indonesia.
They would say that I'm a Jew, that I'm a Christian, that I'm an Al-Qaeda, an extremist, even a homosexual.
Will you continue to protest?
We have committed from the start that the rally would end in two and a half hours. We would like to see how the government reacted against it. In fact, the government played it the hard way. We were beaten and shot. The government-controlled media did not mention anything about our demands of having free and clean elections. They instead wrote that we set out the clash.
A protester dies during the rally. Is it confirmed?
It's been verified. I've asked a permission from his doctor to visit his grave for five minutes to show my respect. We met a lawyer and carried out an autopsy. We will bring the case to the court.
I myself am injured in the head and foot from tear gas canisters fired by the police.
I would like to express my gratitude to my Indonesian counterparts for the support and sympathy. Habibie, Gus Solah and the media asked about me. I'm affected by their concerns. Would you please send them my regards? Thank you.
Cegah Informasi Simpang Siur, Jemaah Haji Diimbau Tak Bagikan Kabar Tidak Benar di Media Sosial
Menurut Direktur Bina Haji PHU Arsad Hidayat, jemaah haji diminta tidak asal membagikan informasi yang beredar di media sosial yang belum jelas kebenarannya.
