Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasen
today challenged opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat to present their
plans on how they would deal with corruption if they come into power in
the next general election.
Speaking in the Voice of the People session at the Pakatan convention in Alor Setar, Ambiga said that the coalition also needs to spell out how it intends to bring home the more than RM1 trillion illicitly siphoned out of the country.
"How
is Pakatan planning to bring back the money...we demand that the huge
amount of money be returned as this is the people's money," she said to
rousing applause.
Calling for a "transition plan", the NGO leader said that Pakatan could adopt an amnesty policy similar to the one implemented in Hong Kong before the colony set up their Independent Commission Against Commission.
"There could be a policy to give amnesty to those involved in corruption to allow a big shift from this situation of confusion.
“We (could) punish the big fish but forgive the small fish so we can move forward...I want to know the Pakatan's stand on this," she said.
She said that truth and reconciliation commissions should also be set up for death in custody cases, to provide closure for the kin of the deceased.
"This will give justice to the families of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbani," she said, making reference to a commission of the same nature in South Africa post-apartheid.
'Give solutions'
Ambiga was not the only person seeking to know Pakatan's plans for the future.
Tertiary student Akram Ikrami who spoke at the session "risking disciplinary action from (his) university" challenged Pakatan to reveal its plans on student loans (PTPTN).
"Sometimes (students) are bored with hearing Pakatan saying that they're heading to Putrajaya...they should present their solution on PTPTN; there is still none given," he said.
He added that with the current loan structure, graduates who are hound "even in their sleep" and treated "worse than prisoners who receive free food and health benefits" in prison.
Others who spoke in the session, that was open to different sectors of society, included prominent novelist Dinsman, who called for Pakatan to acknowledge deserving literati who are sidelined by the ruling government as their works do not meet BN's interests.
The audience of about 2,000 also heard from a retired brigadier general Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab, former Suhakam commissioner Simon Sipaun and UM professor Nazari Ismail.
Speaking in the Voice of the People session at the Pakatan convention in Alor Setar, Ambiga said that the coalition also needs to spell out how it intends to bring home the more than RM1 trillion illicitly siphoned out of the country.
"How
is Pakatan planning to bring back the money...we demand that the huge
amount of money be returned as this is the people's money," she said to
rousing applause. Calling for a "transition plan", the NGO leader said that Pakatan could adopt an amnesty policy similar to the one implemented in Hong Kong before the colony set up their Independent Commission Against Commission.
"There could be a policy to give amnesty to those involved in corruption to allow a big shift from this situation of confusion.
“We (could) punish the big fish but forgive the small fish so we can move forward...I want to know the Pakatan's stand on this," she said.
She said that truth and reconciliation commissions should also be set up for death in custody cases, to provide closure for the kin of the deceased.
"This will give justice to the families of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbani," she said, making reference to a commission of the same nature in South Africa post-apartheid.
'Give solutions'
Ambiga was not the only person seeking to know Pakatan's plans for the future.
Tertiary student Akram Ikrami who spoke at the session "risking disciplinary action from (his) university" challenged Pakatan to reveal its plans on student loans (PTPTN).
"Sometimes (students) are bored with hearing Pakatan saying that they're heading to Putrajaya...they should present their solution on PTPTN; there is still none given," he said.
He added that with the current loan structure, graduates who are hound "even in their sleep" and treated "worse than prisoners who receive free food and health benefits" in prison.
Others who spoke in the session, that was open to different sectors of society, included prominent novelist Dinsman, who called for Pakatan to acknowledge deserving literati who are sidelined by the ruling government as their works do not meet BN's interests.
The audience of about 2,000 also heard from a retired brigadier general Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab, former Suhakam commissioner Simon Sipaun and UM professor Nazari Ismail.
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