Bersih's convoy in Selangor has been having a hard time reaching out to the public, and it may not entirely be the red-shirts' fault.

Instead, the problem might be political parties trying to gain mileage through the convoy.

Malaysiakini understands that Bersih has had to rely on political parties, especially PKR, to help organise convoy routes and stops in the rural northern tip of Selangor, due to a lack of friendly NGO presence there.

But unlike in other states, where Bersih members say convoys make at least a dozen stops each weekend to engage with the locals, there has hardly been any of that in Selangor.

Throughout its three weeks in the state's Malay heartland, the convoy has only made three stops to spread its message to the public - all of which were made last week.

This appears to have made its efforts to whip up support - especially among rural Malays - for the upcoming Nov 19 rally, less effective.

Things in Selangor got off to a rough start when state PKR deputy chief Zuraida Kamaruddin welcomed the Bersih convoy from Teluk Intan to an empty stadium in Sabak Bernam two weeks ago, due to disruption by the red-shirts.

But the situation did not improve last week when the route planned by the PKR-led local committee did not make any stops to hand out leaflets along the way from Sekinchan to Kuala Selangor.

Instead, the convoy's first stop was at the home of a local Kuala Selangor PKR leader, where speakers - mainly from the party - spoke among themselves for two hours instead of reaching out to the public.

They did hand out leaflets later at three locations, but this was overshadowed by an anti-Bersih group's harassment of Bersih supporters and the media.

Stops not allowed

The situation was even worse yesterday, when the only leaflet stop in Bersih's convoy from Kuala Selangor to Kapar was botched due to a lack of coordination and parking space in Kapar town, where police did not let them stop.

Instead, the convoy - which was hardly disrupted by the red-shirts - ended up as a torch passing ceremony between PKR's former Kapar MP S Manikavasagam, from Kuala Selangor, and the Kapar Bersih team, headed by the Kapar PKR branch.

A PKR source told Malaysiakini that it was the police that asked the convoy not to make any stops in Kapar and hand out leaflets, to avoid any confrontation with the red-shirts.

Bersih members, however, had previously expressed to the news portal their dissatisfaction with the way the convoys were being organised in Selangor, saying it had been politically hijacked.

This was highlighted in Bersih steering committee member Jay Jay Denis' speech at the end of yesterday's convoy.

"We thank the political parties, and yes we have worked together.

"But the image of Bersih this past two weeks is not that of a people's movement.

"It is as though the convoy is just for ourselves, we don't go out (to meet the public)," he said, adding that he took full responsibility for any of the convoy's shortcomings.

Kapar MP G Manivannan - who said he was not involved in yesterday's planning - however said that it would be difficult to separate Bersih from politics.

This is especially as opposition politicians are the main defenders of Bersih, he said.

"Bersih has to draw the line properly and come back to us (with its stand).

"If you don't want political parties to get involved, it's hard," he told Bersih supporters gathered at the Kapar PKR office.

The Bersih 5 rally is scheduled to be held in less than a month's time, and time to convert new followers is running out.

However, a hiatus in the roadshow next week for Deepavali may give Bersih the time it needs to resolve any issues it might have with the political parties backing it.