Accept proposal to rally in stadium, Asri urges Bersih
Outspoken religious scholar Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has advised the Bersih 2.0 coalition to accept the suggestion that it hold its rally for free and fair elections in a stadium rather than holding street demonstrations.
Outspoken religious scholar Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has advised the Bersih 2.0 coalition to accept the suggestion that it hold its rally for free and fair elections in a stadium rather than holding on the streets.
The former mufti of Perlis said this is on account of recent developments that have seen the political environment “dirtied by irresponsible quarters”.
In this way, speeches can be given during the event and representatives of the Agong can be present to accept the coalition’s memorandum on the matter of the electoral system.
“If Bersih has its rally and the police stop people from attending, the hoped-for numbers may not be achieved, which defeats the purpose of the event,” said Asri
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had on Monday said the BN-led federal government would concede letting Bersih having its rally in a stadium instead of in the streets, as protests in the latter would be “very risky to the nation”.
Asri, who currently teaches in Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, also suggested Bersih could organised a Minggu Bersih (Bersih Week) during which the national flag is raised and yellow clothes - “without necessarily the word Bersih written on them” - are worn.
“That way, many more people would agree in stating their demand for fair (and free) elections,” he said.
Those with other issues to raise - such as on wastage and price hikes - may also use Minggu Bersih to express their concerns, added Asri.
Current Perlis mufti Juanda Jaya (
right
), meanwhile, in a statement urged Bersih to stand down from insisting on its rally and abide by the Agong’s direction for the gathering to be called off.
“For Muslims, this order is an obligation to be followed as it is an order to a good thing, while for non-Muslims, it should be complied with as a sign their loyalty to the country,” said Juanda.
He also said any interpretation of the Agong’s direction otherwise is a form of “treachery”.
He called on all Malaysians to prioritise the welfare and interests of the nation as a whole.
“All parties have the right to peace as well as to express their views. All parties are responsible to ensure peace and harmony in the country. So all parties must follow the dictates of the law as agreed on by all instead of forcing their views on others.”
“The authorities must give equal and fair treatment to everybody in this nation. Nobody can be allowed to violate the laws and deny the rights of others. Any action detrimental to the harmony and peace of the country must be punished if it is true that they had brought about an adverse impact on the public interest.”
“Any action by the rakyat must be within the boundaries of the laws and the demands of the constitution. An attitude of anarchism should be kept away as it will bring about chaos and disaster. As such, the authorities should play their role and be respected,” said Juanda.
He also welcomed the Agong’s call for all stakeholders to be consulted towards resolving the issues at hand and for all demands to be made through the proper channels.
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