Bersih 2.0 tells govt to heed UN call

Sheith Khidhir Bin Abu Bakar

 | November 17, 2016

Steering committee member Jay Jay Dennis warns disallowing the Bersih 5 rally will tarnish Malaysia's reputation.

PETALING JAYA: Berish 2.0 has urged the government to take heed of a United Nations (UN) body’s call to allow the Bersih 5 rally to proceed.

The electoral watchdog’s steering committee member Jay Jay Dennis warned that failing to do so would tarnish Malaysia’s reputation.

“The government will be sending a message to the international community that it doesn’t give a damn about international bodies and respect for human rights,” he said.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, based in Geneva, Switzerland, released a statement Tuesday, calling on Putrajaya to open investigations into the harassment and intimidation by certain groups against Bersih 5 organisers and participants.

Dennis said with Malaysia’s tilt towards China in recent weeks, it seemed as though the country was also willing to follow China’s pattern of ignoring international law.

He was referring to China’s refusal to acknowledge the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague’s ruling on its claims on areas of the South China Sea.

He also took to task Umno Information Chief Annuar Musa for claiming that Umno lacked the necessary rules to stop its members from joining the Red Shirts on Saturday to counter the Bersih rally.

“It’s as though Annuar Musa is saying to members of Umno ‘go ahead and wreak havoc’ without actually saying it,” he said.

Bersih 5, is scheduled to take place this Saturday, with participants congregating at different parts of the city before walking to Dataran Merdeka.

The Red Shirts have also organised a counter rally on the same day, saying they will gather at Dataran Merdeka as well.

Not allowing Bersih 5 to take will make us M'sia be seen as Pariahs in the international scene, and allowing Jamal and Red Shirts to create havoc and violence will make Umno leaders be seen as DICTATORS and this nation led by  LAWLESSNSS like Zimbabwe, Venezuela, etc -  Mugube and Maduro.