Monday 27 August 2012

Bersih activist Maria Chin summoned by cops

August 26, 2012
 
SHAH ALAM, Aug 26 — Bersih 2.0 activist Maria Chin Abdullah has been summoned to police station tomorrow, possibly in response to a plan by supporters of the polls watchdog group to rally during next week’s National Day events in the city.

The Gabungan Janji group’s programme involves some 47 non-governmental organisations, including the Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower), where Maria Chin (picture) is executive director.

“Maria Chin has been asked by police to report to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters tomorrow at 2pm.

“She will be escorted by a lawyer (Honey Tan) from Empower,” said Hishamuddin Rais, spokesperson of Gabungan Janji, when contacted by The Malaysian Insider.

Gabungan Janji will gather at Dataran Merdeka, clad in yellow, on the evening of August 30, which coincides with the eve of Malaysia’s national day.

In a press conference on Friday, Gabungan Janji said that simultaneous gatherings will be hosted in other states, including Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor.

The gatherings aim to lobby the government to implement Bersih’s eight demands, such as cleaning up the electoral roll, using indelible ink, a minimum period of 21 days for campaigning, free access to the media for all parties, strengthening public institutions, stopping corruption and bringing an end to dirty political campaigning.

When contacted, Maria confirmed that police had spoken to her on Friday to discuss Gabungan Janji’s programme.

“The police contacted me last Friday evening.

“They wanted to ask about the Gabungan Janji programme which we announced during the press conference that morning,” she said.

National literary laureate, Datuk A. Samad Said, who is also the joint chairman of Bersih, will read a special poem on the evening of August 30.

On April 28, a gathering sponsored by Bersih to demand free and fair elections was peppered with incidents of violence.

Razor wire barricades placed to stop participants from entering Dataran Merdeka were cut, resulting in police firing teargas into the crowd.

A few journalists and photographers were also casualties of the violence that broke out during the rally.

3 comments:

  1. Get them, when PR (you) take over Malaysian Gov't, God will see that you will & God blesses you. Then get them! Everyone of them from PM, Ex-PM, Cronies, MACC leaders, Police chiefs, city mayors...they are up to their hair in crime with tons of evidence. GET THEM. Comes GE13 VOTE THEM OUT! Am speaking form NZ- rated highest in democracy and non-corruption.

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  2. One of the most sickening, despicable regimes in the world. State-controlled media, deceiving the people, rigging elections, gerrymandering. Stole, mismanaged and losing hundreds of billions of RM$. The Twin Towers remains half empty, Dayabumi is infested with drug-addicts. Apartheid: Petronas - 99% Malay. Universities out of reach for Chinese & Indians causing brain drain & financial outflow. What happened to Scorpene’s Mongolian murder? Murder of Teoh B H over an alleged few thousand RM$ on his wedding day? Death of Boyert - Taib fomer aide? What happened to MACC’s investigation of Sarawakian Taib’s 31 yrs in power, holding 3 supreme portfolios of Chief Ministr, Finance Ministr & Planning & Resources Ministr & profiteering from every aspect of Sarawak’s economy. Concessions & contracts awarded without tenders….the list is endless. Shame on you BN, UMNO, PBB. God’s nemesis will deal with you, just watch.

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  3. What they – BN/UMNO give to entice voters is the tax-payers’ money! Day in, day out, deceiving & fooling the people. What about the billions that went missing? What about MACC’s investigation of Sarawak’s Taib, 31 years in power with all resources, contracts, activities under his thumb? They only care about staying in power at the expense of the Rakyat, at the people’s poverty & misery. Crooked, rotten, shameless, despicable. Vote them out! Am writing from a truly transparent and democratic country, NZ.

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