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
Showing posts with label BN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BN. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Voter claims BN campaigners gave him money
S’WAK POLLS Four people he believes are BN workers call at his house with a slip on his voting details, a BN poster and two RM10 notes.
A voter has claimed that he received RM20 from BN campaigners who visited his house at Kampung Baru Sri Aman in the Lingga state constituency this afternoon.
The male Malay voter, who asked not to be named, showed Malaysiakini the money stapled to a slip of paper that showed his voting details.
He claimed that four Malays – two males and two females believed to be BN campaigners – were doing house-to-house visits in the village around 4pm today.
At his house, they called on the family members to vote for BN and then handed over slip with his voter registration details, stapled with two RM10 notes, a small piece of white paper printed with the BN symbol and a cross beside it, together with an A4-sized poster of the BN symbol, printed in colour.
His voting details included his name, IC number, polling district, polling station, polling stream, polling date and time.
Although the slip had no BN symbol, the print at the bottom stated that the publisher is the BN headquarters located on Jalan Bako, Kuching, and the printer, a company named Lee Miing Press Sdn Bhd, also located in Kuching.
The A4 poster, also published by the state BN headquarters, states the printer as Heng Sing Brothers Press, which is also Kuching-based.
“I’m considering lodging a police report. Vote-buying is a very serious offence during an election,” he told Malaysiakini.
Kampung Baru Sri Aman is located within the Lingga constituency, which is one of the 19 “black” seats identified by BN.
It is seeing a three-way fight among incumbent Simoi Peri (BN-PBB), Abang Ahmad Arabi Abang Bolhassan (PKR) and Abang Othman Abang Gom (SNAP).
Simoi, who had earlier announced that she would step down but was still fielded by BN, is said to be an “unpopular candidate”.
Malaysiakini has not been able to get her response on the alleged vote-buying.
The opposition parties have been claiming that this state election has been marred by rampant vote-buying, but Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday vehemently denied this.
SOURCE: http://malaysiakinicom.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/voter-claims-bn-campaigners-gave-him-money/#more-1317
The male Malay voter, who asked not to be named, showed Malaysiakini the money stapled to a slip of paper that showed his voting details.
He claimed that four Malays – two males and two females believed to be BN campaigners – were doing house-to-house visits in the village around 4pm today.
At his house, they called on the family members to vote for BN and then handed over slip with his voter registration details, stapled with two RM10 notes, a small piece of white paper printed with the BN symbol and a cross beside it, together with an A4-sized poster of the BN symbol, printed in colour.
His voting details included his name, IC number, polling district, polling station, polling stream, polling date and time.Although the slip had no BN symbol, the print at the bottom stated that the publisher is the BN headquarters located on Jalan Bako, Kuching, and the printer, a company named Lee Miing Press Sdn Bhd, also located in Kuching.
The A4 poster, also published by the state BN headquarters, states the printer as Heng Sing Brothers Press, which is also Kuching-based.
“I’m considering lodging a police report. Vote-buying is a very serious offence during an election,” he told Malaysiakini.
Kampung Baru Sri Aman is located within the Lingga constituency, which is one of the 19 “black” seats identified by BN.
It is seeing a three-way fight among incumbent Simoi Peri (BN-PBB), Abang Ahmad Arabi Abang Bolhassan (PKR) and Abang Othman Abang Gom (SNAP).
Simoi, who had earlier announced that she would step down but was still fielded by BN, is said to be an “unpopular candidate”.
Malaysiakini has not been able to get her response on the alleged vote-buying.
The opposition parties have been claiming that this state election has been marred by rampant vote-buying, but Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday vehemently denied this.
SOURCE: http://malaysiakinicom.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/voter-claims-bn-campaigners-gave-him-money/#more-1317
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