Bersih, His majesty and PM Najib

Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan Chairperson of Bersih, the coalition of NGO’s for the electoral reform together with some of their  representatives were given a Royal audience by his Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agung today 5^th July 2011. The King has ‘legitimized’ the unlawful Bersih by his consent to the audience he granted, with an organization which is the Government has demonized and announced as illegal.

Chairperson Datuk Ambiga has announced they are agreeable to the proposal of the Government to have the rally in a stadium and according to Bersih the actual venue of the event will be announced soon. The Prime Minister reiterated that they can have a peaceful gathering in a stadium.

This Kings unprecedented mediation is widely perceived s a face saving measure Of PM Najib, who in a desperate attempt to thwart the rally has unleashed the most heinous clampdown like arresting people wearing the yellow Bersih T shirt, and the Governments phobia of anything remotely connected to Bersih. Hundreds of supporters have been arrested throughout the country; two public gatherings in Penang were stopped by the Police by taking Court Orders. The most deplorable action is of the detention of Members of Party Socialist of Malaysia under section 122 of the Penal Code for waging war against the King. And add insult to injury is the releasing them from detention and rearresting under the Archaic Law , the Emergency Ordinance  1969 which allows for detention without trial.

Now will the  Government revert their edict of proclaiming Bersih is an unlawful entity, release all those people arrested and now in detention, will the government honor the face saving  truce which they had won through the intervention of the royalty by not unleashing other discreet and clandestine enigma to derail the rally for electoral reform.