The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) has come under a cloud of sorts as it gears up for it annual Relay for Life event.

This is because participants in the fundraising event slotted to take place on Saturday and Sunday at Stadium UKM in Bangi have been asked to wear yellow as the globally recognised colour symbolising the fight against cancer. 

It also happens to be the colour chosen by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) rally.

Cancer patients taking part in the NCSM event this weekend have been asked to wear purple T-shirts. 

Worried that aspersions might be cast on NCSM over its choice of colour - dubbed the colour of the Bersih movement which has been proscribed by the BN-led government - NCSM’s advisor Zuraidah Atan told Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia that their campaign, which is in its seventh year, has nothing to do with Bersih.

“I hope there are no parties who misunderstand or conveniently take advantage of the coincidence because ours is a noble cause to aid cancer patients, and we hope the public would join us in giving their full support,” said Zuraida.

NONE In the run-up to the rally for electoral reform, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had declared the T-shirts promoting Bersih as illegal, as well as other paraphernalia supporting Bersih.       

The coalition itself was outlawed on July 2 by the Registrar of Societies (ROS), but this has been contested by Bersih 2.0’s chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan who is seeking a judicial review to resolve the matter.

Fresh after the rally, Bersih also called for supporters to don yellow T-shirts every Saturday as a show of continued support for the movement’s eight demands for electoral reform.

Veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has also vowed to wear a yellow T-shirt every Saturday until the government accedes to the demands of civil society and political activists pertaining to electoral and political reform.

Relay for Life is an event where participant will walk for 16 hours on a running track to symbolise the ongoing struggle in combatting cancer.

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