The Asian Human Rights Commission is seriously concerned about the recent arrests and intimidation by the Malaysian government against the leaders and supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) in Malaysia.
Bersih 2.0, a coalition of over 60 NGOs, planned to hold a rally on July 9 to demand electoral reforms in Malaysia. The coalition is demanding the cleaning up of the electoral roll, reforming postal ballots, use of indelible ink, a minimum 21-day campaign period, free access to the media and the halt of corruption, etc. In response, the Malaysian government disallowed the rally and carried out arrests and intimidation against the leaders and supporters of Bersih 2.0. According to the human rights organizations in Malaysia, at least 150 persons have been arrested or summoned for investigation. Many people have been harassed and intimidated by the police for wearing Bersih 2.0 t-shirts and distributing Bersih 2.0 leaflets. Bersih 2.0 was also declared an illegal organisation by the government.
Freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly are the basic rights of everyone. They are also important guarantees of the right to political participation for people to be involved in public decision making. The repressive actions of the Malaysian government have seriously violated these rights. Malaysia like Burma remains one of the last countries in Asia that refuse to sign the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
We strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest and detention of Bersih's leaders and supporters under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 (EO), the Sedition Act, Section 122 of the Penal Code, and other laws. In particular, we are concerned over the use of preventive detention under the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance which allows for detention without trial. The EO is equally as draconian as the Internal Security Act (ISA). The EO provides the police with powers to detain a person for up to 60 days. After the initial 60-day detention period, the Home Ministry can make an order authorising further detention without trial for a period of two years. This order can be renewed indefinitely. It is a blatant denial of the rights to civil liberties and circumvents the rule of law.
We call upon the Malaysian government to immediately release all the leaders and supporters of Bersih 2.0 being arbitrarily detained for exercising their freedom of expression; stop the arrest and intimidation of the leaders and supporters of Bersih 2.0; revoke the decision to declare the Bersih 2.0 an illegal organisation; and allow Bersih 2.0 to hold the rally as planned. Instead of attempting to silence Bersih 2.0 by clamping down on their freedom of expression the Malaysian government should look into their legitimate demands.
We also urge the Malaysian government to repeal the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 and the Internal Security Act.
Source: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-092-2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
BERSIH 2.0 SEEKS TO REMOVE
The applicants claimed that the order was illegal because the movement known
as Bersih 2.0 was substantively different from the movement known as Bersih and
Bersih, as it originally stood, no longer existed.
"The order cannot therefore in law be relied upon to restrict or make
illegal the activities of Bersih 2.0, and hence the announcement by the first
respondent (Home Affairs Minister) is illegal based on the order made and is
wrong in fact and law," they said.
Furthermore, they claimed that they were not given the opportunity to be
heard and to give their views before the Home Affairs Minister made the order.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/news-bersih-2-0-seeks-remove-3-094248227.html
as Bersih 2.0 was substantively different from the movement known as Bersih and
Bersih, as it originally stood, no longer existed.
"The order cannot therefore in law be relied upon to restrict or make
illegal the activities of Bersih 2.0, and hence the announcement by the first
respondent (Home Affairs Minister) is illegal based on the order made and is
wrong in fact and law," they said.
Furthermore, they claimed that they were not given the opportunity to be
heard and to give their views before the Home Affairs Minister made the order.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/news-bersih-2-0-seeks-remove-3-094248227.html
Malaysian authorities crack down on protesters
Malaysian authorities cracked down on protesters demanding free and fair elections Saturday, firing tear gas and arresting more than 1,600 people.
Some 1,667 people had been arrested as of early evening, according to the Royal Malaysia Police, with 16 children among them. Protest organizers said at a news conference earlier in the day that about 400 had been detained.
By Saturday night, police said the crowds had been dispersed.
The government said the protest, organized by a loose coalition of opposition groups known as Bersih 2.0, was illegal. It had already declared Bersih an illegal organization and police said anyone found with Bersih-related materials, such as yellow T-shirts, could be arrested.
"Malaysians of all walks of life overcame the oppressive acts of the police to come out peacefully and in incredibly large numbers to show their love for their country and for the principles of justice," the coalition said on its website.
Protesters take to streets in KL "We are nonetheless horrified that several hundred people have been detained, many of them without any justification whatsoever," it said.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was among hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur before heading toward the Sentral Station.
There the protesters breached police lines to march through the rail station, before being met by riot police with tear gas on the other side.
Ibrahim posted on his Twitter account that he had sustained a minor injury during the demonstration and that a staff member had been badly hurt. He also said his youngest daughter had been arrested.
Writing on his blog ahead of the protest, Ibrahim said the "intended peaceful gathering" was to bring Malaysians together "as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections."
He went on: "Our reason for gathering is pure and simple -- to demand that the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped."
Opposition groups have been seeking to put pressure on the ruling party, which has been in power for decades, ahead of elections expected to be called next year.
Among their demands are the use of indelible ink to ensure that voters cannot cast more than one ballot and an extension of the campaigning period,
The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that the prime minister had attended an event Saturday at which he described the protest as "an illegal rally organised by a section of our community."
"If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan to hold the illegal gathering," he is quoted as saying.
There was a strong police presence around the city and many roads had been closed off, local media reports said.
Some 1,667 people had been arrested as of early evening, according to the Royal Malaysia Police, with 16 children among them. Protest organizers said at a news conference earlier in the day that about 400 had been detained.
By Saturday night, police said the crowds had been dispersed.
The government said the protest, organized by a loose coalition of opposition groups known as Bersih 2.0, was illegal. It had already declared Bersih an illegal organization and police said anyone found with Bersih-related materials, such as yellow T-shirts, could be arrested.
"Malaysians of all walks of life overcame the oppressive acts of the police to come out peacefully and in incredibly large numbers to show their love for their country and for the principles of justice," the coalition said on its website.
Protesters take to streets in KL Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was among hundreds of protesters who gathered at the Hilton hotel in Kuala Lumpur before heading toward the Sentral Station.
There the protesters breached police lines to march through the rail station, before being met by riot police with tear gas on the other side.
Ibrahim posted on his Twitter account that he had sustained a minor injury during the demonstration and that a staff member had been badly hurt. He also said his youngest daughter had been arrested.
Writing on his blog ahead of the protest, Ibrahim said the "intended peaceful gathering" was to bring Malaysians together "as one united people in pursuit of clean and fair elections."
He went on: "Our reason for gathering is pure and simple -- to demand that the electoral roll be cleaned, that the postal voting system be reformed, that indelible ink be used, a minimum 21 day campaign period be instated, free and fair access to media for all be provided, public institutions be strengthened, and for corruption as well as dirty politics to be stopped."
Opposition groups have been seeking to put pressure on the ruling party, which has been in power for decades, ahead of elections expected to be called next year.
Among their demands are the use of indelible ink to ensure that voters cannot cast more than one ballot and an extension of the campaigning period,
The Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported that the prime minister had attended an event Saturday at which he described the protest as "an illegal rally organised by a section of our community."
"If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan to hold the illegal gathering," he is quoted as saying.
There was a strong police presence around the city and many roads had been closed off, local media reports said.
A similar demonstration called by the Bersih coalition in 2007 was broken up by police using water cannon and tear gas, local reports say.
PSM 6 released after 28 days in detention
The Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) 6 have been released today after they were detained since July 2 for undefined charges during the Bersih 2.0 crackdown.
It is understood that they were released at 5.30pm at the Jinjang police station, following public outrage and sustained protests over their arbitrary detention.
The six PSM members - Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sungai Siput parliamentarian Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj - were initially detained on suspicion of planning to wage war against the King.
It was learnt that the charge was however changed several times, at one point accusing them of being ringleaders of the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.
In a short statement issued to the media, inspector-general of police Ismail Omar confirmed the release of the six from detention under the Emergency Ordinance.
“Following their release, further action will be determined by the attorney-general’s chambers,” he said in a two-paragraph statement.
When contacted, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan and their lawyer Edmund Bon confirmed that the six were released at 5.30pm.
In an immediate response to the release of the PSM 6, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said the authorities should take responsibility for detaining the six with bad intentions.
“Informed PSM6 released by police. Victory of people n reason. Hishammuddin/IGP shld apologise 4mala fide detention. Najib shld repeal EO,” he said on a Twitter posting.
The PSM 6 will appeared in a 'victory celebration' at 7.30pm at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/psm-6-released-28-days-detention-102607362.html
It is understood that they were released at 5.30pm at the Jinjang police station, following public outrage and sustained protests over their arbitrary detention.
The six PSM members - Choo Chon Kai, Sarat Babu, M Sarasvathy, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sungai Siput parliamentarian Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj - were initially detained on suspicion of planning to wage war against the King.
It was learnt that the charge was however changed several times, at one point accusing them of being ringleaders of the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.
In a short statement issued to the media, inspector-general of police Ismail Omar confirmed the release of the six from detention under the Emergency Ordinance.
“Following their release, further action will be determined by the attorney-general’s chambers,” he said in a two-paragraph statement.
When contacted, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan and their lawyer Edmund Bon confirmed that the six were released at 5.30pm.
In an immediate response to the release of the PSM 6, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said the authorities should take responsibility for detaining the six with bad intentions.
“Informed PSM6 released by police. Victory of people n reason. Hishammuddin/IGP shld apologise 4mala fide detention. Najib shld repeal EO,” he said on a Twitter posting.
The PSM 6 will appeared in a 'victory celebration' at 7.30pm at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Source: http://my.news.yahoo.com/psm-6-released-28-days-detention-102607362.html
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Will Mahathir be proven right that Taib could be another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak because he refuses to step down after 30 years as Chief Minister?
Can former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad be proven right when he cryptically advised Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to “learn from history” in deciding when to step down, citing the case of “one MB who insisted he should continue, and lost the whole state”?
Mahathir was of course referring to the case of Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar Ahmad who was Mentri Besar of Terengganu for 25 years from 1974 to 1999 and was ignominiously evicted from office when Barisan Nasional suffered an electoral rout of 4 – 28 state assembly seats to PAS in the 1999 general elections.
Has Taib overstayed as Sarawak Chief Minister marking his 30th anniversary in office this year?
There can be no doubt that the question of getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister is the single most potent weapon and burning issue against the Barisan Nasional in the 10th Sarawak state general elections, uniting Sarawakians regardless of race or religion throughout the state not because of Taib’s age, the length of his tenure as Chief Minister but because of the lack of accountability, transparency and good governance under Taib’s Chief Ministership illustrated by the mountain of allegations on abuses of power and rampant corruption under his rule which he has not been able to rebut.
It is not that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not aware of Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s Achilees heel but even he is impotent as far as getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister.
All Najib’s attempts to tie Taib down to an early date to step down had been fobbed off and foiled by the Chief Minister and there is nothing the Prime Minister could do about it.
For instance, when Najib “closed down” Putrajaya for six days and led his entire Cabinet to Sarawak to campaign in the Sarawak state general elections on Sunday, his first message was to assure Sarawakians that a change in the state leadership was imminent.
But Taib refused to “play ball” and made it very clear in Najib’s presence the next day that he was not planning any “imminent” stepping down as Chief Minister, as his time frame is “in a few years’ time”.
“A few years’ time” is not one or two years but at least three years and could even be four or five years!
On Tuesday, Taib even said that he had identified his successor as Sarawak Chief Minister and that he had been grooming his successor for 20 years!
This must rank as the greatest political mystery of the century as no one knows that Taib had been grooming his successor for 20 years – not even Taib or the candidate himself!
Yesterday, Taib vacillated talking at first about “two, three years” and later “two years” as the timeframe of his stepping down after Saturday’s state general elections.
Clearly, it is still very elastic to Taib as to the timeframe of his stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister and depending on the outcome of Saturday’s polls, it could still range from two, three to four and even five years!
Of course, there is no question of Taib’s remaining as Chief Minister if Mahathir’s warning come true on Saturday and Barisan Nasional loses power with Pakatan Rakyat winning over half of the 71 State Assembly seats.
There are those who believe that Barisan Nasional will be voted out of power in April 16 general elections.
I am more inclined to the second scenario of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority – although the first scenario of Barisan Nasional losing power in Sarawak through the ballot box is no more an unthinkable and impossible objective.
To deny the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly, Pakatan Rakyat must win at least 24 out of the total of 71 State Assembly seats in Sarawak.
From the ferment and effervescence in Sarawak, the air of freedom of liberation evident among the people during the campaign, it is clear that something is in the works on Saturday affecting the political future of Sarawak and Malaysia.
The goal of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority is eminently achievable which would in fact be the worst defeat in the history of Barisan Nasional.
There is no way Taib could continue as Chief Minister if he loses two-thirds state assembly majority on Saturday as this would impact most adversely on Najib’s political future and in particular for the long-delayed 13th national elections.
Although the electoral prospects for the 15 seats contested by the DAP are ever optimistic and positive by the day, I want to warn and caution all the 15 DAP candidates and election workers that we cannot be assured of victory in anyone of the seats until the votes are counted on Saturday evening and the results announced.
In the one-and-a-half days to polling, Barisan Nasional will go all out to “steal” the 10th Sarawak state general elections with their department of “dirty tricks” working 24/7.
In Kuching, SUPP leaders have declared that they are confident of winning in all the four state seats contested by DAP – Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah.
We must not take SUPP and Barisan Nasional boasts lightly and I call on all the four DAP candidates in Kuching as well as all the 15 DAP candidates in Sarawak and all voters, supporters and well-wishers to adopt a common approach – that no victory in any constituency is assured until the votes are counted and victory declared, and till then, an all-out effort must be launched to get out every single available vote on Saturday to usher in political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.
Source: http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2011/04/14/will-mahathir-be-proven-right-that-taib-could-be-another-wan-mohtar-losing-power-in-sarawak-because-he-refuses-to-step-down-after-30-years-as-chief-minister/#more-11510
Mahathir was of course referring to the case of Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar Ahmad who was Mentri Besar of Terengganu for 25 years from 1974 to 1999 and was ignominiously evicted from office when Barisan Nasional suffered an electoral rout of 4 – 28 state assembly seats to PAS in the 1999 general elections.
Has Taib overstayed as Sarawak Chief Minister marking his 30th anniversary in office this year?
There can be no doubt that the question of getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister is the single most potent weapon and burning issue against the Barisan Nasional in the 10th Sarawak state general elections, uniting Sarawakians regardless of race or religion throughout the state not because of Taib’s age, the length of his tenure as Chief Minister but because of the lack of accountability, transparency and good governance under Taib’s Chief Ministership illustrated by the mountain of allegations on abuses of power and rampant corruption under his rule which he has not been able to rebut.
It is not that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not aware of Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s Achilees heel but even he is impotent as far as getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister.
All Najib’s attempts to tie Taib down to an early date to step down had been fobbed off and foiled by the Chief Minister and there is nothing the Prime Minister could do about it.
For instance, when Najib “closed down” Putrajaya for six days and led his entire Cabinet to Sarawak to campaign in the Sarawak state general elections on Sunday, his first message was to assure Sarawakians that a change in the state leadership was imminent.
But Taib refused to “play ball” and made it very clear in Najib’s presence the next day that he was not planning any “imminent” stepping down as Chief Minister, as his time frame is “in a few years’ time”.
“A few years’ time” is not one or two years but at least three years and could even be four or five years!
On Tuesday, Taib even said that he had identified his successor as Sarawak Chief Minister and that he had been grooming his successor for 20 years!
This must rank as the greatest political mystery of the century as no one knows that Taib had been grooming his successor for 20 years – not even Taib or the candidate himself!
Yesterday, Taib vacillated talking at first about “two, three years” and later “two years” as the timeframe of his stepping down after Saturday’s state general elections.
Clearly, it is still very elastic to Taib as to the timeframe of his stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister and depending on the outcome of Saturday’s polls, it could still range from two, three to four and even five years!
Of course, there is no question of Taib’s remaining as Chief Minister if Mahathir’s warning come true on Saturday and Barisan Nasional loses power with Pakatan Rakyat winning over half of the 71 State Assembly seats.
There are those who believe that Barisan Nasional will be voted out of power in April 16 general elections.
I am more inclined to the second scenario of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority – although the first scenario of Barisan Nasional losing power in Sarawak through the ballot box is no more an unthinkable and impossible objective.
To deny the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly, Pakatan Rakyat must win at least 24 out of the total of 71 State Assembly seats in Sarawak.
From the ferment and effervescence in Sarawak, the air of freedom of liberation evident among the people during the campaign, it is clear that something is in the works on Saturday affecting the political future of Sarawak and Malaysia.
The goal of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority is eminently achievable which would in fact be the worst defeat in the history of Barisan Nasional.
There is no way Taib could continue as Chief Minister if he loses two-thirds state assembly majority on Saturday as this would impact most adversely on Najib’s political future and in particular for the long-delayed 13th national elections.
Although the electoral prospects for the 15 seats contested by the DAP are ever optimistic and positive by the day, I want to warn and caution all the 15 DAP candidates and election workers that we cannot be assured of victory in anyone of the seats until the votes are counted on Saturday evening and the results announced.
In the one-and-a-half days to polling, Barisan Nasional will go all out to “steal” the 10th Sarawak state general elections with their department of “dirty tricks” working 24/7.
In Kuching, SUPP leaders have declared that they are confident of winning in all the four state seats contested by DAP – Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah.
We must not take SUPP and Barisan Nasional boasts lightly and I call on all the four DAP candidates in Kuching as well as all the 15 DAP candidates in Sarawak and all voters, supporters and well-wishers to adopt a common approach – that no victory in any constituency is assured until the votes are counted and victory declared, and till then, an all-out effort must be launched to get out every single available vote on Saturday to usher in political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.
Source: http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2011/04/14/will-mahathir-be-proven-right-that-taib-could-be-another-wan-mohtar-losing-power-in-sarawak-because-he-refuses-to-step-down-after-30-years-as-chief-minister/#more-11510
Rocky's Bru: Lighting up Sarawak after the elections
There was no minister involved, which surprised the handful of business journalists covering the event. Given that these are the final few days before the hotlycontested Sarawak election, you'd think the office would have been swarmed by BN politicians.
In fact, you'd imagine that this MoU would have been signed in Kuching, Miri or Sibu where the contests are red hot between BN and the pretenders.
Instead, the signing ceremony was confined to just the signatories representing two companies and Unimas, which had just completed a pilot project to replace diesel-powered generators with made-in-Malaysia green batteries.
As I write this, and as far I know, the implications of this good news have yet to reach Sarawak.
For me, it speaks of one thing: the focus of campaigning in the Sarawak election has been hijacked and is being dictated by other priorities.
From the day Chief Minister Taib Mahmud announced the dissolution of the State Assembly to pave the way for this Saturday's polls, the main issue has revolved around his 30-year tenure as Sarawak's chief executive.
The Opposition's sole aim is to blame every pothole on the road on Taib.
His "ill-gotten" wealth became the focus of Radio Free Sarawak, which is openly backed by the Pakatan Rakyat, since last year.
Despite the State's compliance with international standards, the chief minister was accused of destroying forests and minting money for himself and his family from excessive logging and land grab.
None of these allegations have ever been substantiated but that's besides the point; Taib's enemies were out to discredit him, and were not ashamed to equate him with the likes of Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak.
Never mind if Pakatan Rakyat's own leaders — Nik Aziz, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh and even Anwar Ibrahim — have been around before Taib became chief minister.
Tit-for-tat, the government supporters built up BN's campaign around the goal of tarnishing the image of the enemy.
Pakatan Rakyat's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has become an easy target after a sex video involving him or his look-a-like surfaced last month. If you read Utusan Malaysia this morning, news about Anwar Ibrahim easily fills up two broadsheet pages.
Those days when Anwar was the deputy prime minister, newspapers worshipped him. Now, the newspaper that Anwar once controlled as if it was his own has become his worst enemy.
Also for the first time in decades of our peaceful multi-religious coexistence as a nation, Christians have become a major election tool. A dangerous precedent has been set.
When PAS started cashing in on Islam for political mileage during the 70s, religion quickly became a divisive factor for the Malays.
A bit like a mini Shi'ite vs Sunni, minus the bloodshed, the Malay-Muslims started to pray with two imams in the same mosque.
The political game being played in Sarawak is potentially more dangerous, as the Church is being used by certain quarters not to divide the Christians but to create an affront with the Government and the Muslims.
It is a strategy being employed stealthily by certain quarters.
The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was used blatantly in the run-up to the 2008 general election to produce tension with the Malay-Muslims.
Now Hindraf is making a comeback for the next polls despite being outlawed after the last general election, where it played a major role in helping BN lose five States.
If the authorities are not careful, we could witness the clash of religions in political rallies for PRU13!
After the polls this weekend, Prime Minister Najib Razak must make it his priority to resolve the issues facing the religions.
He must be fair and he must be tough to ensure that Malaysia remains moderate.
And Sarawak must go back to work immediately. There is more to this State than churches, mosques and temples.
Under the National Key Result Areas, for example, the government is committed to provide 24-hour electricity supply to more than 140,000 households by next year, and most of these are in Sarawak.
There's a lot of light at the end of this tunnel, yet.
AHIRUDIN ATTAN is group editorial advisor for The Malay Mail, Bernama TV and The Malaysian Reserve. He blogs at rockybru.com.my
Source: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/69462-rockys-bru-lighting-sarawak-after-elections
Election Guide to Sarawak
In the interests of providing our readers with background on the upcoming Sarawak elections, here is a brief guide to the participating political parties.
Sarawak Barisan Nasional
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP)
SUPP was established in 1959 by Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui and Tan Sri Stephen Yong. The party was one of the key movers in the formation of Barisan Nasional in 1974. In the 2006 state election, SUPP won 12 state seats as part of BN.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB)
PBB was registered in 1973 with the merger of Parti Pesaka, Malay-based Barisan Ra’ayat Jati Sarawak (Berjasa) and Parti Negara Sarawak (Panas). It is the largest component of Barisan Nasional. In the 2006 state election, it contested 35 seats and won all.
Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP)
SPDP was formed by former leaders of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) when it was de-registered on November 5, 2002. SPDP was registered on November 8, 2002. In January of the next year, it was accepted as a component of BN. In the 2006 state election, it won eight seats.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS)
PRS is an offshoot of the de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak. It joined BN in June 2005. In the 2006 state elections, it won eight seats.
Opposition Parties
Sarawak National Party (SNAP)
SNAP is an Iban-based party with some Chinese support. The party was formed in 1961 by the late Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan (Sarawak’s first chief minister). It was part of the coalition government ruling Sarawak when the state joined Malaysia. In 1966, SNAP became an opposition party. It rejoined BN in 1976. In the 2006 state election, it did not win any seats.
Democratic Action Party (DAP)
Sarawak DAP is the state level party of the peninsula-based party, which is primarily supported by Malaysian Chinese. In the 2006 state election, it won six seats.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
Sarawak PKR is the state-level party of the peninsula-based party. In the 2006 state election, it won one seat, with the election of Dominique Ng. But surprisingly, Ng has not been chosen to defend his seat in the 2011 elections.
Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM)
PCM was formed in 2009. Its members include former Gerakan vice president and member of parliament Huan Cheng Guan and Gabriel Adit Demong.
State Reform Party (Star)
Star was established in 1996 by Dr Patau Rubis after his sacking from the Sarawak cabinet in October 1995. It did not contest in the 2006 state election.
Source: http://www.sarawakreports.org/2011/04/04/election-guide-to-sarawak/
Sarawak Barisan Nasional
Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP)SUPP was established in 1959 by Tan Sri Ong Kee Hui and Tan Sri Stephen Yong. The party was one of the key movers in the formation of Barisan Nasional in 1974. In the 2006 state election, SUPP won 12 state seats as part of BN.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB)PBB was registered in 1973 with the merger of Parti Pesaka, Malay-based Barisan Ra’ayat Jati Sarawak (Berjasa) and Parti Negara Sarawak (Panas). It is the largest component of Barisan Nasional. In the 2006 state election, it contested 35 seats and won all.
Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP)
SPDP was formed by former leaders of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) when it was de-registered on November 5, 2002. SPDP was registered on November 8, 2002. In January of the next year, it was accepted as a component of BN. In the 2006 state election, it won eight seats.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS)PRS is an offshoot of the de-registered Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak. It joined BN in June 2005. In the 2006 state elections, it won eight seats.
Opposition Parties
Sarawak National Party (SNAP)SNAP is an Iban-based party with some Chinese support. The party was formed in 1961 by the late Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan (Sarawak’s first chief minister). It was part of the coalition government ruling Sarawak when the state joined Malaysia. In 1966, SNAP became an opposition party. It rejoined BN in 1976. In the 2006 state election, it did not win any seats.
Democratic Action Party (DAP)Sarawak DAP is the state level party of the peninsula-based party, which is primarily supported by Malaysian Chinese. In the 2006 state election, it won six seats.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)Sarawak PKR is the state-level party of the peninsula-based party. In the 2006 state election, it won one seat, with the election of Dominique Ng. But surprisingly, Ng has not been chosen to defend his seat in the 2011 elections.
Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM)PCM was formed in 2009. Its members include former Gerakan vice president and member of parliament Huan Cheng Guan and Gabriel Adit Demong.
State Reform Party (Star)Star was established in 1996 by Dr Patau Rubis after his sacking from the Sarawak cabinet in October 1995. It did not contest in the 2006 state election.
Source: http://www.sarawakreports.org/2011/04/04/election-guide-to-sarawak/
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