The Malaysian Insider

Thousands are swarming police stations nationwide to lodge reports on the alleged failure of the indelible ink used in the recent general election, answering Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) call for help with its campaign to prove cheating during Election 2013, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

The PR de facto leader, who lodged the same report this afternoon at the Tropicana police station here with his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, told a press conference that the reports proved an attempt by the authorities to manipulate the results of the polls.

“We have thousands (of reports) thus far… I don’t have the official figures but today, I’ve been informed that all over the country, similar reports have been made.

“We did announce that only those who could satisfy the position, i.e. that they did vote and secondly, that the black ink disappeared either on the first or following day (of the polls),” he said after lodging the report.

At a mammoth NGO-organised rally to protest the polls result last Saturday, PR had urged the public to lodge police reports if they had experienced the alleged premature washing-off of the indelible ink from their fingers on Polling Day.

He said they should do so from Sunday onward up until Monday and send copies of the reports to PR.

“This is to show the power and might of the people. We challenge you according to due process. We also respect the rule of law,” the Permatang Pauh MP said.

He said PR wanted to present a large barrel of the people’s police reports of the Election Commission’s (EC) alleged fraud in court.In his police report today, Anwar claimed that he had managed to remove the indelible ink from his finger by 5pm, after he voted in Kubang Semang, Permatang Pauh, in Penang, at 9.30am on May 5.

He said the easy removal of the ink was evidence enough that the election had not been free and fair as promised by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

“This so-called indelible ink is a deceitful attempt by the EC to cheat and manipulate. My personal experience showed… by 5pm it (the ink) was all clear… no sign of any black mark on my finger.

“I believe many more Malaysians will continue to show the extent of fraud and mass rigging (during the polls),” he said.

Asked what he planned to do with the police reports lodged, Anwar said the simple fiasco over the ink discredits the prime minister and the EC’s denial of irregularities or fraud during the election.

He accused the authorities of wilfully using the indelible ink despite knowing that it was removable for the purpose of cheating.

Election 2013 saw the ruling BN returned to power with 133 federal seats to PR’s 89 seats despite losing the popular vote by scoring just 48 per cent to PR’s 51 per cent.

PR leaders have maintained that Election 2013 was fraught with irregularities, starting from the use of an indelible ink that was not indelible to discrepancies in the voter roll and outright cheating on polling day itself through the alleged use of phantom voters and electricity blackouts.

The federal opposition pact has organised a host of rallies nationwide to protest the results of the election, insisting that it had been stolen from them by BN.

The Malaysian Insider

Saya merasa sangat bertuah sebagai salah seorang ahli DAP dalam gabungan Pakatan Rakyat bersama-sama dengan PKR dan PAS kerana ungkapan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkaitan satu usul yang meminta kuota parti dalam pentadbiran syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC), mengabsahkan lagi bahawa Pakatan Rakyat merupakan satu gerakan politik yang benar-benar tulen dan jujur dalam membanteras rasuah dan salahguna kuasa yang menjadi amalan budaya politik sejak sekian lama.

Menurut beliau “Kita jangan kompromi dengan prinsip integiriti pentadbiran yang baik yang kita bicarakan. Kedudukan GLC itu bukan rizab parti”. Kenyataan ini wajar diangkat sebagai satu mesej penting bagi semua parti dan ahli politik dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Prinsip asas seperti integriti dan profesionalisme wajar diberi penekanan dalam semua aspek urus tadbir kerajaan agar perjuangan parti tidak menyimpang dari matlamatnya.

Terlalu banyak bukti kesilapan yang akhirnya membawa kepada skandal salahguna kuasa dan rasuah yang telah berlaku dalam amalan politik Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN).

Jika kita merujuk kepada amalan atau budaya yang dilakukan oleh Umno dan BN selama ini, kita dapat lihat bagaimana kroni-kroni mereka memanipulasi syarikat berkaitan kerajaan hingga menyebabkan syarikat menanggung kerugian besar dan akhirnya semua masalah ini ditanggung oleh rakyat bawahan.

Semua kerugian ini adalah berpunca dari kecuaian pihak pengurusan yang mana ketua-ketua GLC ini adalah lantikan politik atau yang mempunyai kaitan langsung dengan pemimpin elit Umno-BN.

Contoh lain yang kita dapat lihat bagaimana Umno-BN menjalankan kerja-kerja korupnya apabila melantik ketua-ketua kampung dari kalangan ketua-ketua Umno baik diperingkat cawangan mahupun bahagian.

Pada asalnya, niat ini adalah baik.

Tetapi disinilah puncanya berlaku salahguna kuasa dan korupsi.

Mereka-mereka ini diberikan tender dan kontrak secara rundingan terus termasuk dana atau peruntukan untuk membantu orang kampong dalam membangun atau menyelesaikan masalah dikampung.

Namun wang ini telah digunakan untuk tujuan lain termasuk menggunakannya untuk mengugut rakyat yang tidak menyokong mereka.

Akhirnya, niat yang suci telah bertukar menjadi sebaliknya hingga menyebabkan rakyat biasa gagal dibantu.

Justeru, pernyataan Anwar agar ahli politik tidak melibatkan diri secara langsung dalam GLC merupakan satu langkah tepat dan wajar diiktiraf oleh kita semua.

Ia juga selaras dengan dasar kerajaan Selangor dan Pulau Pinang yang selama ini mengamalkan dasar Cekap ,Akauntabel dan Telus (CAT) hingga berjaya membawa kemakmuran ekonomi dan sosial buat rakyatnya.

Inilah intipati yang dimaksudkan dalam slogan “Ubah”.

Perubahan dari satu amalan atau sistem lama yang korup kepada satu sistem baru yang lebih cekap, telus dan adil.

Ia bukan slogan kosong sepertimana slogan 1 Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang menyalahkan sesuatu kaum apabila tidak mendapat sokongan majoriti dalam PRU 13 yang lalu.

Pengasingan kuasa eksekutif, legislatif dan kehakiman merupakan induk perubahan yang ingin dizahirkan oleh Pakatan Rakyat.

Inilah pendekatan paling berkesan dalam membendung amalan rasuah dan salahguna kuasa.

Malaysiakini

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim noted that he could sense the frustration in the rakyat that they want to go beyond protests, but said he hoped the ongoing rallies to protest electoral fraud would remain peaceful.

“When we announce (at the rally) that we are not going to march, you could see a few thousands left in disappointment.

“You could sense that people want to move beyond these rallies… We pray that things are orderly,” he told a press conference in Petaling Jaya this afternoon.

Despite the police crackdown against rally organisers, Anwar thanked the cops for acting professionally on-site when the ralllies were ongoing.

“They (police) did not provoke like in previous Bersih rallies, so we thank them and hopefully there will be no provocations,” he said, though he suggested the police to focus more on crime-busting.

Malaysiakini

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has described Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as hypocritical for criticising him over a peace deal to accept the general election results when the premier himself refused to sign it.

“He did not sign it, in fact before I signed it, Pak Jusuf (former Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla) went to him and he said ‘No’.

“There was no contract, Najib said he agreed, that he was a man of honour, but he is a prime minister of no courage to even sign what he had agreed,” he told a press conference at the PKR headquarters this afternoon.

The peace deal between Najib and Anwar, brokered by Jusuf (right), touched on election ethics, free and fair election, accepting the results of the general election and reconciliation.

As such, Anwar said Najib should be “the last person” to criticise the former on the deal, especially when he did not honour many deals specified.

“The prime minister is the last person to talk about lying after cheating in the election, having to courage to honour the commitment to ethics and free and fair election…

“It is enough to show how fraudulent the (electoral) process was and it is hypocritical of Najib (to say that I broke the deal),” he said.

‘PM intended to break deal’

Anwar said he had signed the agreement as he had already publicly supported ethical campaigning and free and fair election.

However, he said that accepting the general election results was contingent on the provision of ethics and free and fair election which was not fulfilled by Najib.

“He (Najib) did not sign the agreement as he intended to breach the contract from the beginning.

“He did not follow ethical campaigning and he cheated in the general election,” he said.

Anwar pointed out the demonising of the opposition on the mainstream media during campaign period, denying them access to media, and alleged widespread fraud in the polls.

“You refused to sign the agreement and now you are talking about an agreement you refused to sign,” he said.

Malaysiakini

PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli today produced another police report to prove an allegation of a blackout happening in a polling centre in Kedah on election day.

Rafizi said that a police report showed that a blackout happened in Sedim, Kedah when counting was taking place – and lasted for 15 minutes.

The area falls under the Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentary seat, and adds on to an alleged bkackout in Sri Serdang on the same day.

The report was lodged by a PKR polling agent who was stationed at a school in Sedim, who said that only the school block suffered from a blackout and not the surrounding areas.

“Election Commission deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar should produce the basis as to how he could ridicule a serious allegation about a discrepancy in running the elections,” Rafizi said.

Wan Ahmad had recently alleged that no blackouts took place in any polling centres in the country, and even went on to suggest some pictures were staged before the elections in order to discredit the commission and the election process.

PEJABAT DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

Saya<NAMA PENUH>, No Kad Pengenalan <NOMBOR KAD PENGENALAN BARU/LAMA> telah mengundi di dalam PRU Ke-13 pada 5/5/2013 di Daerah Mengundi <NAMA DAERAH MENGUNDI>, Parlimen <NAMA PARLIMEN> pada jam <JAM PAGI/PETANG>. Saya basuh jari yang dicalit dakwat kekal pada jam <JAM PAGI/PETANG> hari yang sama mendapati semua dakwat yang dicalitkan pada jari saya telah habis tertanggal.

Saya membuat laporan ini untuk menyatakan dakwat itu tidak kekal. Ini bertentangan dengan kenyataan Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR) Malaysia yang menyatakan dakwat itu kekal seperti peruntukan Undang-Undang Pilihanraya. Ini adalah satu penipuan oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR).

Sekian, terima kasih.

Malaysia-Chronicle

Malaysia’s Opposition will next week file a lawsuit against the Election Commission chairman and deputy chairman for “fraud against the nation”, Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah told an 80,000-strong crowd at a rally to protest the outcome of the recently-concluded 13th general election.

“We will make sure they pay for their criminal acts, we will make sure justice prevails in this country of ours. And when the case goes to court, I urge all Malaysians to turn up to show support to our lawyers.

“And don’t forget, the moment they can, they will call for a Parliament sitting and try to re-delineate some seats. You know what they will do? They know they are strong in seats like Sungei Besar, so they will split Sungei Besar into 2 parliament seats and combine Pandan and Ampang for example. But we will be waiting. We will mobilize the people to protest in large numbers to stop them from this re-delineation.”

“You can cheat the people some of the time but not all the time. So tonight we will gather, we will make sure we know the truth, and we will fight them hard especially to make sure no unfair re-delineation takes place.”

Both the EC chairman Abdul Aziz Yusoff and his deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar are no strangers to accusations of bias and vested interests. They are believed to be members of Umno and despite calls for them to quit on the basis of a lack of neutrality, they have refused to do so.

On Monday, first thing to do is to lodge a police report

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s umno-BN coalition won 133 of the federal parliament’s 222 seats and the Pakatan Rakyat led by Anwar Ibrahim 89 seats. However,

Anwar has refused to concede defeat, citing systemic and widespread cheating. The Pakatan plans to file election petitions in at least 27 seats where they claim to have uncovered “conclusive” evidence of vote buying, vote rigging as well as phantom voters. They want re-elections in these seats.

Another key grouse is the indelible used by the EC, which it had promised would stay on for 5 days. However, on the May 5 balloting day the majority of Malaysia’s 13 million-strong electorate found to their shock the ink could be washed off within the hour. This would render the ink useless as a weapon against multiple voting by a single person – the very reason why the ink had been bought for use in the first place.

Also at the same event was Anwar, who is also Nurul’s dad. In his speech, Anwar called on all Malaysians who encountered electoral fraud on balloting day to lodge police reports. This would help to strength the case against the EC, said the 64-year-old.

“On Monday, the first thing you should do is to lodge a police report against the EC,” said Anwar. “Our lawyers are now gathering information. Yes we have more confidence in the people’s court (than the country’s scandal-tainted judiciary) but we have to go through the process.

No plans for BERSIH 4.0 yet: Focus now on people’s Tribunal

Ambiga Sreenvasan, the co-chairman of the BERSIH movement for free and fair polls, also minced no words lambasting the EC’s alleged bias in helping the Umno-BN win through fraud.

In her speech, she spoke of the establishment of a People’s Tribunal to investigate the pile of complaints from the electorate. However, she told Malaysia Chronicle at the sidelines of the rally that her committee was not planning BESIH 4.0 at the moment.

“Don’t give up. We are going to have a People’s Tribunal to tell the truth. They may have the forces but we are going to have the most powerful weapon in our hands. We are going to have truth and we are going to use that. Anyone who has evidence, please come forward and I know you are brave enough to do that,” said Ambiga.

“This Election Commission, if they have any self-respect should resign immediately on this one ground, on the ground of indelible ink. Do you know in my opinion, the indelible ink is a fraud is a fraud on the Malaysian people. They refused to demonstrate (the quality of the ink) and now we know why. Any EC worth its salt would have resigned in embarrassment.”

The Malaysian Insider

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wants to sign up some 500,000 volunteers to protest at the Election Commission (EC) offices until the members resign in favour of replacements who report directly to parliament.

The coalition also wants voters to lodge reports against the EC forusing indelible ink that can be washed off immediately after the May 5 general elections, despite claims that it was introduced to prevent possible double voting.

“The people will move to SPR until SPR is dibubarkan (disbanded). Can?” losing PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin asked thousands who crowded a rally here organised by 60 NGOs, referring to the EC by its initials in the Malay language.

PR has blamed alleged electoral fraud for not becoming government although it won the popular vote in Election 2013. It won 89 federal seats against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) which took 133 seats in the 222-seat parliament.

The politician better known as CheguBard heads Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), which is demanding that the EC should not be under the Prime Minister’s Department but should report to parliament.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the last to address the rally but he also rejected the idea of working with the EC and supported calls that the current EC members resign immediately.

“We will never cooperate or work or engage with such a deceitful Election Commission,” the PKR de facto chief said, adding that an “ultimatum” will be issued if they do not resign.

Anwar urged the public to lodge police reports if they had experienced the alleged premature washing-off of the indelible ink from their fingers on voting day.

He said they should do so from tomorrow onwards up until Monday and send copies of the reports to PR.

“This is to show the power and might of the people. We challenge you according to due process. We also respect the rule of law,” said Anwar.

He said that PR wanted to present a large barrel of the people’s police reports of EC’s alleged fraud in the courtroom.

PR is looking to file election petitions to contest polls’ conduct and results of more than 25 federal seats, a move, which must be done within 21 days from the gazette of the polls results on May 22.

Anwar also called for Malaysians to support Bersih’s efforts through the polls watchdog’s People’s Tribunal, a new initiative which will be used to examine public complaints of alleged electoral fraud.

Despite the EC saying that the People’s Tribunal lacks legal standing, Anwar said he viewed it as having legitimacy.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of the Opposition Leader, similarly accused the EC of cheating, highlighting the failure of the indelible ink which was introduced to prevent double voting.

“We’ll fight them hard especially to ensure that no unfair re-delineation takes place,” the PKR vice-president told the crowd, referring to the re-delineation exercise by the EC that is expected to take place by year-end.

The Lembah Pantai MP also took a slightly different tack when she urged PR supporters not to hate political rivals BN.

“They might want us to hate them. I will tell you the only thing you should feel against Umno, Barisan Nasional and its leaders is pity. Don’t have to hate and it’s because we love Malaysia, we love the future,” she said.

“Never, never lower yourself to their level. We fight with love, we fight with peace. We fight because we are better than these people,” she later stressed.

Earlier she said that people should leave the ethnic-based parties in BN, naming Umno, MIC and MCA, which she claimed were “racist”.

She called on the people to go to Putrajaya and press the home minister for a licence to replace local daily Utusan Malaysia with Utusan Rakyat.

“You give us our permit and we make sure we create news that are true for the people, not news to plant feelings of hate,” she said.

The crowd at the rally streamed in from 5pm and reached its peak about 9pm with a traffic jam reported at the nearby Federal Highway. The NGO-organised affair appeared to be a continuation of a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) campaign that began two weeks ago.

Despite police remarks that the gathering known as “Himpunan SuaraRakyat505” was illegal, the crowd turned up clad in black to symbolise their protest and dispersed peacefully.

Malaysiakini

I assumed the first time I met former PAS member, now newly-elected PKR Lumut MP, retired Admiral Mohamad Imran Abd Hamid, was during the May 8 Blackout 505 rally in Kelana Jaya. Surrounded by throngs of excited Malaysians as we exchanged pleasantries, the retired admiral related how he knew me during my days in the Navy.

Imran is a rare politician. He says what he means and means what he says. He is well-liked among former and current military personnel, but more importantly, he has a reputation for being a ‘straight’ guy.

“No funny business,” says a former Navy admiral who makes it his business of keeping track of the nexus between the political and military establishment.

Although Imran gained a reputation of having a ‘sharp tongue’ during the campaign period, he is in reality extremely humble. Now I understand that whenever the word ‘humble’ is used to describe a politician, the reality is anything but.

However, there is a sense of earnestness when Imran describes his role as a politician and when he uses the term ‘rakyat’, you understand that he feels part of the problematic Malaysian polity and not detached from it like most politicians, something many feel is necessary, because in most cases politics is a career.

A spiritual man who understands the religious plurality in Malaysia, in this interview, the former admiral in his usual frank manner discusses what he thinks is wrong with the political landscape in this country.

Readers should consider this an introduction to one of the few good men that Pakatan Rakyat is in desperate need of.

What made you decide to enter politics and why Pakatan?

I did not come to this decision lightly. I wanted to halt the pervasive, rampant corruption in Mindef (Defence Ministry) and other government agencies.

As someone who has served this country, I wanted to protect these institutions that belong to the rakyat. I believe only through Pakatan that action can be taken. For far too long BN has been sheltering the culprits from judicial action.

As a high-ranking member of the armed forces, did you notice first-hand the corruption that was rampant?

I was involved in the KD Kasturi and KD Lekir (both frigates) procurement in the 80s. It should have involved two parties only – the shipbuilder and the government.

Surprisingly the contract to procure the (Scorpene) submarines, three parties were involved – the government, the shipbuilder and Perimekar Sdn Bhd. We were told Perimekar is the company that provides training and accommodation for the submarine crews.

How could this Malaysian company perform this function? What did this company know of submarines, much less training? Furthermore, this was a Malaysian company and there is conflict of interests.

Later, it was discovered that they pocketed more than RM500 million. This is just one example. What of other equipment, not to mention helicopters, APCs (armoured personnel carriers), etc?

Direct negotiations provide room for corruption but when reported, nothing happened.

What do you think are the biggest mistakes Umno-BN has made in its decades-long rule?

They have failed to reduce and maybe even encouraged corrupt practices in government agencies. The crime rate is alarming. Institutions that are supposed to serve the rakyat like the police, SPRM (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission), the judiciary, are perceived to be hostile to the rakyat.

Political leaders’ criminal acts are protected. Government debt is alarming. The list goes on. This has nothing to do with race but governance.

How do you think as an ex-military officer you can contribute to Pakatan and the rakyat?

I could be the link to voice out the dissatisfaction of our soldiers. Members of the armed forces and their families are an important component of the rakyat.

However, this does not mean I only concentrate on the welfare of the armed forces personnel. It just means that I can offer specific insight into this community. At the end of the day, the rakyat is made up of many groups of people.

Could you describe some of the “attacks” made by Umno-BN when you announced your candidacy?

None directly from BN. However, the Navy chief did invite former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and Perkasa on April 23 to the Navy base (in Lumut, Perak) to discredit Pakatan and myself. As a result, (in my opinion) I received fewer votes from Navy personnel.

What is your response to being denied entry into Lumut naval base?

I was denied entry to perform Friday prayers in the base on May 3 only, otherwise I have never had a problem. Politics got in the way of common sense and professionalism. Very disappointing, when you consider what those invited said about Pakatan and I.

Are you shocked by the response of the military establishment to your candidacy?

Not at all. I was convinced however that I might get good support from the “other ranks” if they were not threatened by their commanders. What I want to see is less politics in the armed forces. They serve the Agong and rakyat, and not political parties.

You have mentioned you were sidelined in the Navy. Why do you think this happened?

There is always talk. Some said “no way Haji Imran can get one star”, but instead I was promoted to First Admiral in October 2008. I was only ever interested in doing my job well. Even in the armed forces, there is professional conflict and petty squabbles.

Why did some people think that you would not get promoted?

They probably were not aware of my contributions to the Navy. My academic qualifications are varied. For instance, I have a Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Power) in 1977 at UTM (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur. Also maybe it was the usual politics that happens in any career.

Do you think that Pakatan should continue with the 505 gatherings and why?

Black 505 is a gathering to show the rakyat’s dissatisfaction over the GE13 result that is mired in controversy. There is something very wrong with our electoral system, after years of the present government’s interference.

It will go on until we get the decision to our petitions. Please remember that these are peaceful gatherings. All our gatherings have been peaceful.

What are the problems faced by your constituents in Lumut and how do you intend to solve them?

One of the more important issues is that my constituents want to avoid a “local brain drain”. They want boarding schools and a university to be built to avoid bright students from leaving Lumut.

I have to urge the Education Ministry to plan and implement this. People need education. If they are educated, they are better equipped to make choices.

If more educational facilities were to be opened in Lumut, would they be open to all races?

The university is of course open to all races. The boarding school is more of a Malay cultural experience but this does not mean that it should be exclusively for Malays. I want input from everyone. ‘Muhibbah’ means listening to all points of view and people’s experience.

What are your views on religion being used as a political tool?

It is unwise for anyone to use religion to influence the rakyat. It is not right to use religion for political gain. We all have certain basic principles we agree to which makes for a better society. We should concentrate on those principles.

What is your response to thecontroversial comments of Home Minister Zahid Hamidi?

It is an unwise remark by a minister. He might have forgotten of his ancestors’ land of origin. I do not bother at all. We need to get down to the hard work of making this country better for all Malaysians, regardless of which political party you support.

Is the armed forces racially polarised and if so, what are the reforms needed?

It is complicated. Of course, there is a difference between how the armed forces was and what it is now. It remains to be seen if non-Malays do not like the armed forces culture or if there are other reasons for the lack of non-Malay participation.

We need to have an honest and open discussion on this. Pakatan has shown that it can handle discussion without resorting to threats.

How has your experience been as a politician as compared to the structure of military life?

As a politician, you are dealing with civilians from all walks of life as compared to the military that is more specific in terms of people of all walks of life conforming to a specific structure.

In the military, you have a chain of command and problems filter through this chain. In a sense, it is easier to take charge and implement changes. Seniority also helps when you are dealing with personnel higher up the chain of command.

As a new politician, I have to be willing to listen to the rakyat’s demands but they have to understand it is a different power structure. Sometimes what they want is beyond my means to deliver for various reasons.

There is a system and it is the rakyat’s job to see that the politicians do not abuse the system but at the same time, they have to understand that unfortunately certain demands take time to fulfill, especially when you have to deal with people who hamper your efforts.

There has been great tragedy in your family. How do you cope with running a campaign and dealing with your personal loss?

I lost my four daughters in February 2005 in a car accident in Grik. My candidacy to contest for Lumut was announced by (PKR de factoleader) Anwar Ibrahim on April 5 in Grik. Therefore, Grik is very significant to my wife and me.

Campaigning was tiring but if you have a sense of purpose, you can overcome nearly everything. My family tragedy reminds me to always speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Al Jazeera

Tens of thousands protest against government, with speeches from leading opposition figures over alleged fraud.

Tens of thousands of people held a rally near Malaysia’s capital against alleged electoral fraud, further raising the political temperature after divisive recent polls. The latest in a series of protest rallies over the May 5 elections – which the opposition says were won fraudulently by the 56-year-old ruling coalition – saw a large crowd gather in an open field outside Kuala Lumpur Saturday night. Malaysia’s Home Minister Zahid Hamidi had earlier called the rally a “provocation”, coming after four people were arrested including two opposition politicians, actions that sparked allegations of a post-election crackdown on dissent. There were no reports of any police action against the latest rally, which was to include speeches by top opposition figures including leader Anwar Ibrahim. Opposition speakers vowed to expose electoral fraud and keep up the pressure on the Barisan Nasional (National Front) government. “We are never disappointed because we have won decisively, the moral victory. Tough times never last, only tough people do. We will prove to [the government] how tough we are,” Anwar’s daughter, parliament member Nurul Izzah, told the crowd. Silencing opposition Two senior opposition politicians and two activists were detained last week under the Sedition Act for criticising the conduct of the elections. They were later released. Prime Minister Najib Razak, who before the elections sought to portray himself as a reformer, had pledged last year to repeal the decades-old Sedition Act. The home ministry last week also said it had seized some 2,500 copies of opposition-party newspapers for allegedly failing to meet printing regulations. The three-party opposition plans to file court challenges to the result in 27 parliamentary seats. If all are successful, the opposition says it would give them victory. It is highly unlikely the opposition would prevail, as critics widely accuse the courts and Election Commission of being in thrall to the ruling coalition. Global rights group Amnesty International urged the Malaysian government Friday to end what it called a “post-election crackdown”, saying it was using the Sedition Act “against peaceful protestors”. Barisan gained only 46.6 per cent of the popular vote but won a firm majority, which critics blame on Barisan tinkering with districts to give its strongholds more weight. The opposition claims that, among other problems, voter rolls were full of irregularities. The government denies the election was unfair.

The Malaysian Insider

Oppression and intimidation by the Najib regime will not cow Malaysians into submission, polls reform group Bersih 2.0 warned today as it called on the government to stop its nationwide clampdown on opposition supporters.

The group said the recent spate of arrests of key Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and activists was the regime’s attempt to silent critics of the just-concluded general election, which it maintained was tainted by irregularities, unethical practices and “blatant cheating”.

“Those detained are Malaysians who dare to voice out what have frustrated and angered most Malaysians since the conclusion of the 13th general election,” Bersih 2.0 said in a statement here.

Election 2013 saw the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition returned to power with 133 seats in the 222-set Parliament despite only winning the minority vote.

Pointing to its popular vote score at 51 per cent to BN’s 47 per cent, PR leaders immediately accused its political foes of stealing the elections with fraud and widespread cheating.

The results also sparked the series of “Black 505” rallies nationwide where tens of thousands of supporters have turned up to protest the results of the polls.

The newly-minted BN government under second-term prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak responded by flexing its muscles at the opposition, mounting a widespread clampdown to quell opposition dissent.

Several rally organisers have been hauled up to face the book for allegedly contravening the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011.

“Party organs of the three [PR] parties of PKR, PAS and DAP have been confiscated,” Bersih 2.0 observed.

“Thugs sympathetic to BN have been to open air gatherings organized by civil society to create trouble and to scare speakers and participants from further engaging in their struggles for a clean and fair electoral system, deemed so key to a genuine democracy,” it alleged.

It also pointed to the arrest and use of the Sedition Act to charge student activist Adam Adli earlier this week, and the subsequent detentions of PKR MP Chua Tian Chang, PAS leader Tamrin Ghafar and activist Haris Ibrahim.

All four were hauled in for allegedly uttering seditious remarks by calling on Malaysians to topple the government through street protests.

But Bersih 2.0 said the charges were trumped up, tailored merely to persecute those who dared to expose the manipulations they alleged were perpetrated by BN and the Election Commission (EC) during the May 5 polls.

“Bersih 2.0 is, however, confident that such oppression and intimidation will not succeed,” he said.

“On the contrary, Malaysians will rise up to oppose oppression, intimidation, corruption, torture and gross violation of human rights as perpetrated by the Najib regime.

“They will not relent until there is justice, democracy and equality in Malaysia.”

Another rally, called the “Himpunan Suara Rakyat 505” will be held this evening outside Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya.