Bersih 4.0 Is Only A Basis For Political Stakeholders To Topple The Govt

By Siti Baaqiah Mamat & Balqis Jamaludin KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- The two-day Bersih 4 rally which is set to begin Saturday, is only a basis for political stakeholders to bring down the government, according to public opinion from various groups. In a survey done by BERNAMA, individuals met said they were aware that the organisation of the rally had gone off the tracks of what it was originally intended for. Government pensioner, Rokiah Mohd Arriff, 62, said at first, Bersih's goal was to fight for free and fair elections, but it is now seen to have become a platform for political revenge that wants to topple the current government. "If we look at it, the next General Elections will come in another two or three years, so why is the rally being held now, especially when we are waiting to celebrate the momentous occasion of the 2015 National Day?," she said. She said their action to hold the rally in the capital, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysian Sabah state capital) and Kuching (Sarawak state capital) served only to give a negative perception of the country to the outside world. Retired armed forces personnel M. Puspanathan, 53, said he did not mind if the Bersih 4 rally was held for the benefit of the people. However, he said, the organisation of the rally was clearly seen to be for the benefit of certain parties. "What is being trumpeted is that the rally is being held for the good of the people, but don't they think about the people who are afraid to leave their houses, the businesses near the location of the gathering are forced to close, and the arrival of tourists will also be affected...so what good is there for the people?" he said. He said people should allow the country's leaders to try to improve the economic situation including the fall of the Malaysian Ringgit, which was due to the global economic slowdown. "They are the ones who are busy wanting the government to raise the value of the national currency, but if they choose to conduct a rally which may invite chaos and unrest, can it improve the position of our ringgit?" he asked. Meanwhile, Young Journalists Club of Malaysia president Dzulkarnain Taib feels that the actions of those with political interests was a concerted effort to sabotage the country's economy. He said the organisation of Bersih 4 was also an effort to disrupt the peace and goodwill among people in this country. "Therefore, we call on the authorities to take decisive action over any entity or organisation that's trying to 'fish in troubled waters', while the government is trying its best to solve the problem of the ringgit's depreciation as well as the slowdown caused by the global financial crisis," he said. For Emma Yusri, 27, if such gatherings were held regularly, it was feared that it could lead to a culture of street demonstrations and riots which would become a 'habit' among Malaysians. The legal officer said the culture of rallying which caused chaos was against the teachings of Islam. "Islam teaches its followers that if you're not satisfied, prayer is the weapon of the believer, not by having rallies, or causing a stir in public places and so on," she said. Meanwhile a student from Acheh, Indonesia, Tunku Muhammad Radiyan S. Narukaya, 22, who is currently studying in a private university in the Klang Valley said he was concerned as normally street demonstrations often turned into riots which were aggressive that caused chaos in the long term. However, he believed that the young people in the country were still open-minded and would not make the rally a platform to vent their dissatisfaction. "Malaysia has so far been seen as a country with a stable economy. Therefore it should preserve this good momentum so that the Malaysia which I have come to know as my second home can always remain safe and peaceful," he said. -- BERNAMA