七零九之狮城净选盟集会

在709这一天，当成千上万的你们热血和勇敢的站在第一阵线来对表达选举改革运动时，隔岸的我们也尽我们的所能为你们加油打气。 在Bersih 2.0 Singapore的号召下，在狮城工作的大马子民也在下午二至四时，穿着黄衬衫， 聚集在新加坡芳林公园(Hong Lim Park)的"演说角落"(Speaker's Corner)表示对“净选盟” Bersih 2.0的支持。 在这非正式的集会里，我们没有布条，没有标语，也没有演说， 就只是静静聚集在公园的各个角落，表示我们对干净与公平选举的支持。 虽然表面上我们是沉静的，但我们的内心却是热血沸腾的，焦虑的， 时时刻刻都在关心在吉隆坡街头的你们。我们不停的在上网，为的就是能得到第一手资讯，感觉上就有如与你们同在。

虽然今天出席的人数不多，但还是很高兴看到一班热爱大马的子民， 从岛国各个角落，不约而同，恕不相识的聚在一起。虽然大家身处国外，但内心还是深切的连系着毗岸的家乡。但愿马来西亚在不久的将来会有更干净与公平选举。祝福马来西亚明天会更好。

HIDUP BERSIH!   HIDUP RAKYAT!



我在709"黄"了， 你呢？


新加坡芳林公园(Hong Lim Park)的"演说角落"(Speaker's Corner)。这Speaker's Corner其实有一段历史的。在2000年，新加坡政府在意义深远的芳林公园开设了一个Speaker's Corner供有意在那里公开发表言论的国人无须申请公共娱乐准证，只须要在邻近的牛车水邻里警岗登记，就可以发表演讲。这和伦敦海德公园相似。


2pm后， Hong Lim Park开始聚集穿黄衣服的人士


Bersih


这些都是关心和热爱马来西亚的子民




大家坐下来讨论大马的局势


把"Bersih 2.0"的字眼写在衣服上


写在手臂上


Bersih is POWER！


来自怡保的支持者


来自槟城的支持者


来自岛国各角落，恕不相识但一条心的马国朋友们




大家都忙着上网，关注KL最新的进展


iPad也出场了。那Facebook页是"Bersih 2.0 Singapore"的主页。


小弟弟也被妈妈带出来支持"Bersih"


跟随爸爸的脚步吧，追求更民主，更美好的明天。


正在KL争取民主，公正的勇士们，胜利是属于你们的！HIDUP RAKYAT!


Bersih! Bersih! Bersih!
(Picture from Justin Hor)



新加坡新传媒(Mediacorp)的华语新闻



新加坡亚洲新闻台(Channel News Asia)隔天的报导


在709的前一天，Bersih 2.0 Singapore也提交一份备忘录和一份自制的海报给马来西亚驻新加坡大使馆的最高专员公署表达在旅居新加坡的大马人对马来西亚的关心和爱戴。

以下是备忘录的全文和海报 ：

Letter to HE High Commissioner for Malaysia to Singapore 9 July 2011

His Excellency Dato’ Md Hussin Nayan
The High Commissioner for Malaysia for Singapore
The Malaysian High Commission
301, Jervois Road
Singapore 249077

July 9 2011

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned, write to you representing many Malaysians who live and/or work here in Singapore. Their faces can be seen in the pictures on the accompanying poster. You can also see that each one of those pictures bears the words ‘I love Malaysia’. We come from diverse backgrounds and hometowns but are all united by the unwavering love we have for our home country.


It is this love which causes us pain now for in the same way the child feels pain when the parent is ill, we too feel the pain of Malaysia’s recent sufferings. Most of us remember a time when, as children, we wandered in and out of our neighbours’ houses freely and comfortably. In those days, few doors remained locked and no one shooed us away for our different customs, traditions, language or dialect; Safety was more about making sure the brakes on our bicycles worked, and not so much about whether they would get stolen from our homes.

No Malaysian who keeps his eyes, ears, mind and heart open can dispute that the crime rate in Malaysia has risen and that corruption at all levels is rampant. The days when the 3 friends in our school text books were Ali, Ah Kow and Raju who studied, played and even ate together are also gone now, replaced by a polarised society ignorant yet fearful and suspicious of one another.

We believe that the first step towards a Malaysia that is vibrant, peaceful, safe and united is to have in place a legitimately elected government of the rakyat, representing the rakyat’s interests and working committedly for the common good of the rakyat. In turn, that requires having truly free, clean and fair elections.

So that is why we support the founding principles behind the Bersih 2.0 initiative. We write to you as non-partisan citizens of Malaysia. Respectful of the laws of Malaysia and Singapore, for the principles of social harmony, and respect towards the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, we act in unison motivated by a common desire for what we all once had, but have now lost.

Your Excellency, to show you that on this side of the Johor Straits there are many patriotic Malaysians too who love their country very much and who recognise that for their - our - country to regain what she has lost, she must first give her rakyat voice again. And in order to do that, we repeat here Bersih 2.0’s list of 8 demands which we support:

1. Clean the electoral roll
The electoral roll is marred with irregularities such as deceased persons and multiple persons registered under a single address or non-existent addresses. The electoral roll must be revised and updated to wipe out these ‘phantom voters’. The rakyat have a right to an electoral roll that is an accurate reflection of the voting population.

In the longer term, we support BERSIH 2.0’s call for the EC to implement an automated voter registration system upon eligibility to reduce irregularities.

2. Reform postal ballot
The current postal ballot system must be reformed to ensure that all citizens of Malaysia are able to exercise their right to vote. Postal ballot should not only be open for all Malaysian citizens living abroad, but also for those within the country who cannot be physically present in their voting constituency on polling day. Police, military and civil servants too must vote normally like other voters if not on duty on polling day.

The postal ballot system must be transparent. Party agents should be allowed to monitor the entire process of postal voting.

3. Use of indelible ink
Indelible ink must be used in all elections. It is a simple, affordable and effective solution in preventing voter fraud. In 2007, the EC decided to implement the use of indelible ink. However, in the final days leading up to the 12th General Elections, the EC decided to withdraw the use of indelible ink citing legal reasons and rumours of sabotage.

We concur with BERSIH 2.0 demands for indelible ink to be used for all the upcoming elections. Failure to do so will lead to the inevitable conclusion that there is an intention to allow voter fraud.

4. Minimum 21 days campaign period
The EC should stipulate a campaign period of not less than 21 days. A longer campaign period would allow voters more time to gather information and deliberate on their choices. It will also allow candidates more time to disseminate information to rural areas. The first national elections in 1955 under the British Colonial Government had a campaign period of 42 days but the campaign period for 12th GE in 2008 was a mere 8 days.

5. Free and fair access to media
It is no secret that the Malaysian mainstream media fails to practice proportionate, fair and objective reporting for political parties of all divide. We join BERSIH 2.0’s call on the EC to press for all media agencies, especially state-funded media agencies such as Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM) and Bernama to allocate proportionate and objective coverage for all political parties.

6. Strengthen public institutions
Public institutions must act independently and impartially in upholding the rule of law and democracy. Public institutions such as the Judiciary, Attorney-General, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), Police and the EC must be reformed to act independently, uphold laws and protect human rights.

In particular, the EC must perform its constitutional duty to act independently and impartially so as to enjoy public confidence. The EC cannot continue to claim that they have no power to act, as the law provides for sufficient powers to institute a credible electoral system.

7. Stop corruption
Corruption is a disease that has infected every aspect of Malaysian life. BERSIH 2.0 and the rakyat demand for an end to all forms of corruption. Current efforts to eradicate corruption are mere tokens to appease public grouses. We demand that serious action is taken against ALL allegations of corruption, including vote buying.

8. Stop dirty politics
Malaysians are tired of dirty politics that has been the main feature of the Malaysian political arena. We demand for all political parties and politicians to put an end to gutter politics. As citizens and voters, we are not interested in gutter politics; we are interested in policies that affect the nation.

Your Excellency, we ask that as the senior diplomat here, you accept our letter in the spirit it is written and make representation to Putrajaya to express our wish for a return to the principles upon which our country was founded and the hope that any current or future activities that help us along that road be fully and wholeheartedly supported .

sincerely,
John Cheong
Sunil Martin
Yong Fen Chao
Goh Chun Fan
and over 50 Malaysians with unwavering love for our home country who gave us their self-portraits proclaiming that;and over 500 others who liked our Facebook page put up just a week ago.