If I shall die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
This may be the final lament of a citizen of Malaysia. My final words, hopefully, immortalized in the digital recesses of cyberspace.
However, before going to the macabre subject of my potential death, perhaps it would be prudent if I explain the situation to you who may have just joined us in Malaysia, and why my potential death may be of no significant consequence to the world.
The Bersih rally, organized by the Malaysian committee for clean and fair elections, is going ahead with its plans this Saturday, 3 days away from today. Bersih2.0 is planning to rally all Malaysian citizens in a peaceful demonstration towards clean and fair elections. The rally, in its second iteration, is aptly named Bersih2.0. Bersih2.0 will most probably be the largest, most significant episode in the entire history of Malaysia since its independence from British colonial. It will be far more engaging than the electoral tsunami that swept Malaysia in 2008. It will definitely be more impactful than the dreaded and taboo May 13th incident.
As you all reading this will inevitably know more than I do about the progress and developments of the rally, I find no need for me to explain the situation in an in-depth manner to you.
For posterity purposes, I shall, however, give a personal insight on the rally. The Bersih2.0 rally's objectives are two-fold, to uphold the constitutional right for all its citizens to demand and choose its leaders, and to strive for electoral reform. Officially, they have 8 demands, all of which I feel is justified and truly past due. The demands are, in no particular order:
1. Clean the electoral roll The electoral roll is marred with irregularities such as deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address or non-existent addresses. The electoral roll must be revised and updated to wipe out these ‘phantom voters’. The rakyat have a right to an electoral roll that is an accurate reflection of the voting population. In the longer term, BERSIH 2.0 also calls for the EC to implement an automated voter registration system upon eligibility to reduce irregularities. 2. Reform postal ballot The current postal ballot system must be reformed to ensure that all citizens of Malaysia are able to exercise their right to vote. Postal ballot should not only be open for all Malaysian citizens living abroad, but also for those within the country who cannot be physically present in their voting constituency on polling day. Police, military and civil servants too must vote normally like other voters if not on duty on polling day. The postal ballot system must be transparent. Party agents should be allowed to monitor the entire process of postal voting. 3. Use of indelible ink Indelible ink must be used in all elections. It is a simple, affordable and effective solution in preventing voter fraud. In 2007, the EC decided to implement the use of indelible ink. However, in the final days leading up to the 12th General Elections, the EC decided to withdraw the use of indelible ink citing legal reasons and rumours of sabotage. BERSIH 2.0 demands for indelible ink to be used for all the upcoming elections. Failure to do so will lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is an intention to allow voter fraud. 4. Minimum 21 days campaign period The EC should stipulate a campaign period of not less than 21 days. A longer campaign period would allow voters more time to gather information and deliberate on their choices. It will also allow candidates more time to disseminate information to rural areas. The first national elections in 1955 under the British Colonial Government had a campaign period of 42 days but the campaign period for 12th GE in 2008 was a mere 8 days. 5. Free and fair access to media It is no secret that the Malaysian mainstream media fails to practice proportionate, fair and objective reporting for political parties of all divide. BERSIH 2.0 calls on the EC to press for all media agencies, especially state-funded media agencies such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) and Bernama to allocate proportionate and objective coverage for all potlical parties. 6. Strengthen public institutions Public institutions must act independently and impartially in upholding the rule of law and democracy. Public institutions such as the Judiciary, Attorney-General, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), Police and the EC must be reformed to act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights. In particular, the EC must perform its constitutional duty to act independently and impartially so as to enjoy public confidence. The EC cannot continue to claim that they have no power to act, as the law provides for sufficient powers to institute a credible electoral system. 7. Stop corruption Corruption is a disease that has infected every aspect of Malaysian life. BERSIH 2.0 and the rakyat demand for an end to all forms of corruption. Current efforts to eradicate corruption are mere tokens to appease public grouses. We demand that serious action is taken against ALL allegations of corruption, including vote buying. 8. Stop dirty politics Malaysians are tired of dirty politics that has been the main feature of the Malaysian political arena. We demand for all political parties and politicians to put an end to gutter politics. As citizens and voters, we are not interested in gutter politics; we are interested in policies that affect the nation.
We shall see, as time progresses, how Bersih2.0 plays out.