Wilting Civil Society's Voice Via Bersih 3.0?

By Mikhail Raj Abdullah KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- That the Election Commission has moved swiftly to attend to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms is something every right-thinking Malaysian should be proud of. The EC has been receiving a lot of flak, especially from the Opposition, on a number of issues such as vote-buying, electoral fraud and cleaning up of the electoral rolls. But it must be given credit for honouring what the PSC recommended as, ultimately, it is the commission's responsibility to meet the people’s expectations for clean and fair elections. In just nine months since Bersih 2.0, the EC has undertaken what is surely an unprecedented move to improve the electoral system to ensure the credibility of the ballot box. In 2008, the Opposition succeeded in achieving the unthinkable, wresting control of five states and denying National Front (Barisan Nasional - BN) a two-third majority in Parliament, forcing then Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to make an eventual exit. In the early days of the stunning win, the Opposition suddenly found no fault with the electoral process, nor with the EC. It was easy to see why. But with the countdown of the 13th general election ticking away, suddenly the same complaints against the EC and the government are making their rounds again. That the EC and the government are once again the "villains" out to deny the Opposition and the people of free and fair elections is an all-too-familiar refrain at Opposition "ceramah". Nine months ago, the Opposition and several NGOs bandied together a second Bersih protest to once again plant the seeds of doubt in the people's mind on the credibility of the EC. Despite Parliament acting on their grouses, the Opposition reined in the same activist groups to quickly announce Bersih 3.0, this time a sit-in protest at the iconic Merdeka Square, which will surely attract media attention. Their proposed "occupation" of the nation's landmark of independence has strong political overtones although the organisers insist that it is apolitical. The PSC established by the government to improve the electoral process had consulted various groups, and had even included Opposition members in the committee. The PSC's recommendations spoke volumes about the sincerity and courage of the government under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in moving towards the nation's political transformation. Instead of acknowledging the improvements in the electoral process, even if grudgingly, the Opposition has chosen to reignite its allegations against the EC and the government by intending to take its grouses to the streets. But such an antagonistic stance by the Opposition certainly casts a doubt on the credibility of Bersih, generally thought to be a people-centric movement. Are the people who supported Bersih and its leader Ambiga Sreenevasan being unwittingly duped into supporting the Opposition in holding another protest? The government is already doing what Bersih had originally demanded and had even gone the extra mile, as seen by the abolition of the Internal Security Act and various emergency ordinances, as well as giving greater freedom to the people in the process. Neither the EC nor the government should be pushed into a corner. Their commitment to reforms - both short and long term in strengthening democracy -- should be encouraged and not simply dismissed by the Opposition in its quest to garner votes. It would be sad if Bersih's sit-in is hijacked by the Opposition for its own political agenda and benefit. Then the voice of civil society, which Bersih claims to represent, appears to have given way to rhetoric and mudslinging by the Opposition, merely to score political points. -- BERNAMA