Bersih 2.0 is concerned with Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak’s intention of probing reports that Bersih and news portal Malaysiakini allegedly received foreign funding.

There is no law that states an NGO or a news portal cannot receive foreign funding nor is there anything in the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 that gives power to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to conduct such an investigation. That would be ultra vires of the law.

Bersih 2.0 finds it unacceptable that the ministers who are supposed to lead this country do not have a firm grasp of the law and the constitution and are acting out of the bounds of their powers.

When similar allegations were levelled against a certain Malaysian Official 1 who received ‘donations’ and allegedly misappropriated massive amounts of public funds, the same ministers who now decry foreign funding for NGOs and news portals scrambled to his defence.

Instead of probing into recycled claims of foreign funding, Bersih 2.0 questions the inaction of the authorities over the red shirts who failed to give their 10-day notices under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012 for gathering outside Malaysiakini’s office on Thursday (Nov 3) and Saturday (Nov 5) last week. If the authorities truly believe that the law is applied equally, their leader, Jamal Md Yunos, should be investigated under Section 9 of the PAA 2012.

Furthermore, his threat to “runtuhkan” (collapse) part of Malaysiakini’s building should be taken seriously. We urge that inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar not to again dismiss this as a mere “war of words” and investigate Jamal for criminal intimidation under the Penal Code.

As it stands, the authorities seem to be wielding the law to their convenience and silencing views and actions they don’t agree with, supposedly in the name of protecting parliamentary democracy.

Malaysians deserve a more accountable and democratic government where such a perceived double standard will not be allowed to happen and where strong, principled leaders truly have the nation’s best interests at heart.

We urge Malaysians to not be taken in by the authorities’ diversionary tactics and refocus their attention on the crucial issues of 1MDB’S grand corruption and ‘donations’ allegedly channelled into Najib Abdul Razak’s personal accounts used for GE13 and more importantly, the unconstitutional redelineation exercise carried out by the Election Commission which may sway election results in favour of one ruling party.

Not protesting is no longer an option. Bersih 2.0 urges fellow Malaysians to join us on the streets this Nov 19 for Bersih 5 to demand for a better Malaysia.