Yesterday, BERSIH 2.0 released a statement responding to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform’s report which was tabled in Parliament.

This statement is being issued as a follow-up to the Parliamentary Select Committee’s report and relates to the fraud that is currently taking place with respect to the electoral roll and other aspects of elections in Malaysia.

The Parliamentary Select Committee report in our view contains some sound recommendations.  However the Parliamentary Select Committee has fallen far short in many areas.  What was hoped for was that a tough, no-nonsense approach would have been taken by the Parliamentary Select Committee to ensure that the next elections would be clean and fair.  Many of the recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee, and indeed the 8 demands of BERSIH 2.0, can be implemented before the 13th General Elections.  In fact they MUST be implementedNOW.  But the silence of the government as to its commitment to implementing reforms before the 13th General Election is deafening.

Neither the Parliamentary Select Committee nor the government appears to have taken a serious view of the many allegations of fraud.  Both have glossed over the disenfranchisement of so many citizens both overseas and within Malaysia.  Many of the other matters that so many citizens have painstakingly and diligently presented to the Parliamentary Select Committee have not been comprehensively considered.

The continuing fraud, as has been explained, continues unabated, thus leaving us with the feeling that nothing will be done by this government to ensure that the upcoming elections will be clean and fair.

In fact, it promises to be the dirtiest yet.  The Election Commission has failed in its responsibility, and has lost the confidence of the public.  They must resign.

The rakyat must voice their dissatisfaction with the government and the Election Commission and protest the continuing fraud and obvious lack of commitment to election reform before the 13th General Election.

In order to express our deep disappointment with a government that continues to manipulate the electoral system to their advantage, we will stage a nationwide and worldwide sit-in, to be known as DUDUK BANTAH!

In Kuala Lumpur, we will meet at Dataran Merdeka on 28 April 2012 from 2pm to 4pm.  Sit-ins will also take place in other parts of Malaysia and throughout the world.

BERSIH 2.0 comprising 84 non-governmental organisations, call upon Malaysian citizens wherever they are who love this country to participate in the sit-in.  Members of political parties are also invited to participate as citizens.  This will be BERSIH 3.0!

BERSIH 3.0 will be a time for reflection by all Malaysians, particularly those in power, as to the kind of legacy and future we intend to leave to the next generation.

Salam BERSIH!

Steering Committee, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0)

The Steering Committee of BERSIH 2.0 comprises:

Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan (Co-Chairperson), Datuk A. Samad Said (Co-Chairperson), Ahmad Shukri Abdul Razab, Andrew Khoo, Arul Prakkash, Arumugam K., Dr Farouk Musa, Liau Kok Fah, Maria Chin Abdullah, Richard Y W Yeoh, Dr Subramaniam Pillay, Dato’ Dr Toh Kin Woon, Dr Wong Chin Huat, Dato’ Yeo Yang Poh and Zaid Kamaruddin.