Will the Agong now receive Bersih's memo?

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your say 'This is a way out for both parties to withdraw gracefully to fight another day.'

Agong suggests restraint on Bersih issue

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: The palace statement is a positive step. I suggest that the Agong receive in audience the leaders of the NGOs that used to form Bersih 2.0 prior to the banning as well as the leaders of Umno Youth and Perkasa, and allow each group to hand over their respective memorandums to him in the presence of members of the Election Commission and also to allow each group in private to state their views to him on the electoral process.

Thereafter, the Agong as a constitutional ruler has the right to consult, warn and encourage the government on these matters. If the palace is agreeable to this, then all rallies ought to be called off in the interest of public order, safety and stability.

That said, the rakyat have lost all confidence in the present government and come GE13, Umno/BN should be prepared to be thrown out of power. The people have now seen the government's blatant abuses of power with the help of the police and the media, and the use of undemocratic laws, which is a total negation of democracy and our freedoms.

Anonymous_5fb: I, as a rakyat, like to see the Agong invite S Ambiga, as chairperson of Bersih 2.0, to the Istana to receive the Bersih 2.0 memorandum on free and fair elections before July 9. Will you, Tuanku?

Tuanku, even if you refuse to invite Ambiga to your Istana, we would appeal that you would ensure clean, free and fair elections. We rakyat would be very grateful to you as our king, Tuanku, if you can do that for the interest of rakyat and our nation. Ampun Tuanku beribu-ribu ampun.

Up2U: Ambiga, a point has been noted and in view of DYMM Agong's special statement, you should stand down and called off the planned Bersih rally. There is no shame in calling the rally off as to continue may risk many ‘casualties'.

A few representatives of Bersih can arrange to hand over the memorandum to the Agong. Bersih have already received such tremendous coverage and attention over this planned rally. There are many more opportunities in the future.

MySecret: We have seen what the present BN and their shameless hussies are capable of doing in order to ‘shut up' Bersih. It's for all to see and do you think a chat over high tea is going to change anything?

It's a way out for both parties to withdraw gracefully to fight another day. This entire episode has demonstrated how low and dirty BN can get.

Loyal Malaysian: Yes, now that our king has come out with this message, as his loyal rakyat, we should respond appropriately. But, the bottom line is the Umnoputras have used unscrupulous means, arbitrary arrests and the Emergency Ordinance to try to derail Bersih 2.0.

It is more for them to come up with a rational response to what is from the start a peaceful walk organised to demand electoral reforms for free and fair elections in our country.

AnakBangsaMalaysia: And what does the Agong have to say on:

1. The corruption and failure of the Election Commission to perform its professional duty despite mountains of evidence of electoral fraud.

2. The complete and total corruption of the PDRM, judiciary and almost all public institutions by Umno-BN.

3. The explicit threats of violence uttered by Umno-Perkasa against Bersih and the public.

4. The illegal arrests and abuse of detainees by the police.

5. The Umno-BN regime and PDRM deliberately violating the Malaysian people's right to peaceful assembly as enshrined in the Federal Constitution - of which the Agong is supposedly the 'guardian'.

6. The home minister and PDRM flagrantly abusing the Agong's name to illegally detain and abuse the PSM detainees.

7. The MCMC's explicit instructions to the compliant mainstream media to black out all evidence of police brutality and instead publish lies to frame Bersih 2.0.

8. The continuing rape and plunder of Malaysia by Najib Razak's regime.

Dood: If the Agong wants to help restore democracy and confidence in the monarchy, he would be wise to seek out the root of all the troubles in the country and advise Umno/BN to stop the madness and to give the people what is due to them: free and fair elections.

Kungfuguy: The Agong must realise that Malaysians are a peace-loving people and the Bersih rally is just a peaceful march which serves as a wake-up call to all Malaysians to reclaim what our founding fathers had aspired for us but lost along the way.

Bersih never intended a violent street demonstration, it's Najib Abdul Razak and gang who were so fearful of the impact the rally might foster - to educate the masses about their inherent right to fair and just elections - that the subsequent build-up of so-called unrest was designed to shed a bad light on the Bersih rally.

With utmost respect to our king, I feel that his words are still protective of Najib; he could have been bolder.

Bender: This sudden turn of event may yet be another one of Umno/BN's desperate attempt to crush Bersih. They have the special access to the Agong and may have used the institution as a last resort.

Whatever it is, the fact is the Agong has spoken and Bersih must look into this in quite a different angle. It's one thing to bulldoze Umno/BN but to go against the royalty is quite another. It may taint the image of Bersih in the eyes of the people.

Ambiga may opt to hold off the rally for the time being, pending the outcome of perhaps more talks (like the Agong suggests), and perhaps with this intervention even the EC will come to its senses? If things don't change, then go on with the rally on another day.

Whatever Ambiga and Bersih decide, I'm sure the majority of peace- and justice-loving people in Malaysia will support them. Daulat Tuanku and God bless Bersih.

Michael Angelo: Irregardless whether the march is on or off, all believers and supporters of Bersih 2.0 should wear yellow on July 9 as a mark of respect to all those arrested by the police.

 


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