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| The question now is whether Malaysia’s opposition groups can capitalize on the momentum from Saturday’s rally and force further changes in one of Southeast Asia’s linchpin economies– or if voters will continue to stick with Mr. Najib and the ruling coalition that has dominated Malaysia since it gained independence from Britain several decades ago. |
An estimated 20,000 protesters gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to call for reforms to Malaysia’s electoral system. The surprisingly large turnout—and the government’s tough response, with water cannons and tear gas—appears to have galvanized the country’s opposition, which until recently had struggled to gain traction against a government led by Prime Minister Najib Razak.
The protesters believe Malaysia’s government must reform to reduce electoral fraud and create a level playing field for all parties, including the opposition. Government officials say rally organizers were trying to embarrass the government, garner sympathy for opposition politicians and threaten social order.
The question now is whether Malaysia’s opposition groups can capitalize on the momentum from Saturday’s rally and force further changes in one of Southeast Asia’s linchpin economies– or if voters will continue to stick with Mr. Najib and the ruling coalition that has dominated Malaysia since it gained independence from Britain several decades ago.
The Wall Street Journal’s Celine Fernandez recently spoke with Ambiga Sreenevasan, chairwoman of Bersih 2.0 (or the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections), a coalition of activists that organized Saturday’s rally. A former president of the Malaysian Bar Council, she was the first Malaysian to receive the U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award for championing human rights, the status of women and religious tolerance in Malaysia.
Here are some edited excerpts from the interview:
Q: Your organization has built up some momentum with Saturday’s rally. What is the next move for Bersih?
A: Our agenda for electoral reform still stands firm, but we have two priority items which we think should be resolved. The first, of course, is that we express terrible regret at the death of Baharuddin Ahmad (a man who died of a heart attack during the rally), and we are very concerned at the manner in which it occurred. One of our top priority items is to refer the issue of the excessive use of the police force upon the rally to Suhakam (the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia). And we are asking them for a full investigation.
(Editor’s note: Malaysian authorities have said they believe the man’s death was from natural causes and not related to the rally. They have also defended the police’s use of tear gas and water cannons, saying they were provoked into action and had to act to protect public order, and relied on minimal force to disperse crowds).
The second priority item for us is the release of those held under the Emergency Ordinance (including a number of activists arrested in connection with the rally). We are very, very, very concerned about the reports we are getting, about the manner in which they have been treated. We call for their unconditional release.
We are pushing for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry consisting of experts acceptable to the people to look into comprehensive electoral reform before the 13th General Elections (Malaysia’s next elections, which must be called by spring 2013), and we reiterate our call for this to the government.
Q: Will you hold more rallies?
A: I do not see it happening in the near future.
Q: What are the most important reforms needed in Malaysia, and why? Is it just about electoral reforms, or are other changes needed?
A: Immediately, we want a more level playing field for the 13th General Elections. But apart from that, in the last six weeks, I think Bersih has become more than just a movement for electoral reform. I think that there is a real yearning for a higher standard of democratic values. People are utterly, utterly shocked by the abuse of power displayed by the government. So it has also become about the integrity of our institutions and the manner of governance and the abuse of power. I think people were very moved by that, and that is why we got the numbers that we did.
Q: What benefits would come from those reforms, and why are they needed in Malaysia?
A: The benefits would be providing a more level playing field and we think it brings legitimacy to the government who wins. If you come in because of free and fair elections, it would be something that would be more acceptable to the people.
Q: If Malaysia had truly free and fair elections, what do you think would happen?
A: I really can’t predict. I wouldn’t want to even begin to predict, actually. All I can tell you is that we will get a government who truly reflects the will of the people. And that’s all we want.
Q: Why do you think the government cracked down so hard on Saturday?
A: Really, I fail to completely understand that. But I think they acted because they have taken a position and they were not prepared to move from that position. And they wanted to teach us a lesson, not by reason, but by force. I had made this statement earlier: They thought might could win over right, but I am afraid might can never win over right. Right always ultimately wins.
Q: The government says Bersih is really just a front for opposition parties and is trying to promote their interests ahead of any national election. They note that Anwar Ibrahim (Malaysia’s most prominent opposition leader) played a conspicuous role at Saturday’s rally. Is the government’s criticism fair?
A: Not at all fair, because we invited all political parties including Barisan Nasional (Malaysia’s ruling coalition) to support us. How can you say the cause for free and fair elections is only for the opposition? It is for everybody. Pakatan Rakyat (Malaysia’s main coalition of opposition parties) did support Bersih. What’s wrong with that? Pakatan Rakyat members are also citizens of this country. Are they not entitled to support a movement for free and fair elections?
Q: The government also says you’re also trying to destabilize the country and undermine public order. Is that fair?
A: Totally unfair. So far, I have refused to respond to personal allegations. My issue is please judge me by my conduct and the government by their conduct. And let the public draw their own conclusions.
Q: Many people have said it took a lot of courage to organize Saturday’s rally. Why are you doing this? What drove you to get involved and take such a leadership role in Bersih? Do you feel like you are putting yourself at any risk?
A: A few NGOs approached me and asked me to lead a civil society movement for free and fair elections, which I was very willing to do because it was for a good cause. And I did not for one minute think there was anything controversial about this topic. We thought we won’t even get the numbers – we were worried about how to publicize the event. We never expected the government to react the way it did. I certainly did not want any of this attention that I am getting. I don’t know why the focus was on me. We have 14 steering committee members. I was not making decisions on my own. We had nongovernmental organization members who had their views as well.
A government that comes across as such a great bully repulsed a lot of people. And I think that is why we had the numbers and the momentum that we did. Honestly, if they had allowed us to proceed and played it down, we would not have gotten those numbers. That’s why you saw on that day, ordinary citizens, and these are not even members of political parties, from all walks of life, old, young, all races, all religions. Where have you ever seen that? And how does the government read it? They come back on Monday and attack Bersih again. Those are the people you are attacking. Those are the voters you are attacking. They are not reading the situation properly at all. But I still say there is time to salvage, to reconcile, and I hope the government will seek to do that.
Q: Although there are obviously major differences between Malaysia and countries such as Egypt, Tunisia or Syria, any demonstration these days inevitably invite comparisons to the Arab Spring protests. Are there are any similarities here?
A: No similarities, in my view. They were in a completely different situation. Here, all we are doing is asking for a free and fair election. It is the government’s disproportionate response that created a momentum. But we are still a peace-loving nation. We still want the government to be fair. To me it was never our intention and it is still not our intention to bring down this government. We want to work with this government, to improve our electoral system.
Q: How deep is the support for Bersih?
A: When you look online, you will find it growing exponentially. I am amazed at how it has taken off. Bersih is not a word any more. It is an idea. It is a feeling. It is a passion, which is why you can never kill it.
Q: There is a Facebook page with 100,000 people requesting Najib Razak’s resignation. What do you think about that?
A: We have nothing to do with that. It is never and has never been Bersih’s intention for the prime minister to step down. As I said, we want to work with the prime minister and his government to have a better electoral system.
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