by ANIL NETTO
PENANG – With new polls expected within a year, Malaysia’s hotly contested politics are set to hit the streets, setting the stage for a potential confrontation between pro- and anti-government interest groups.
On July 9, more than 60 civil society groups calling themselves the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, or Bersih for “clean” in Malay, are calling for a “Walk for Democracy” in downtown Kuala Lumpur to push for sweeping electoral reforms.
If implemented, such reforms would likely boost the Anwar Ibrahim-led opposition at the next polls. Right-wing Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Indigenous Empowerment Organization), a Malay rights interest group led by firebrand Ibrahim Ali, however, is spearheading a counter-rally backed by 57 groups.
Another counter-Bersih rally is being organized by the youth wing of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the dominant party in the ruling coalition, to support the Election Commission’s own election reform program. The Commission’s proposals have not satisfied Bersih, which wants a clean up of the electoral rolls, automatic registration of voters and other balloting issues that critics claim have historically favored ruling coalition candidates.
ATO for more