Bersih 5 rally

Bersih 5 rally
Part of Bersih rally
Logo of the rally used by Bersih organisers
Date	November 19, 2016
Location	Jalan Bangsar to Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur (Bersih Convoy: Kangar, Johor Bahru, Kota Bahru, Lumut, Sandakan and Miri)
Goals	For a New Malaysia Free and Fair Elections A Clean Government The Right to Dissent Strengthening the Parliamentary Democracy Empowering Sabah and Sarawak Resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak[1]
Status	Confirmed
Parties to the civil conflict
Bersih Red Shirts Orange Shirts[2] Royal Malaysia Police
Lead figures
Maria Chin Abdullah (detained) The Bersih Steering Committee Mahathir Mohamad Jamal Yunos (detained)[3] Datuk R.S. Thanenthiran (MMSP president)
Number
40,000 (Media estimate) 15,000 (Police estimate)[4] 1,400 Bersih security personnel 2,500-4,000 7,000 officers[5]
Casualties
Arrested	12+

KLCC on 19 November 2016

The Bersih 5 rally (also known by its tagline: Combine our energy – New Malaysia)^[6] was a peaceful democratic protest in Malaysia, supported by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), which took place on November 19, 2016. The rally was held calling for a new and cleaner electoral system in Malaysia. A Bersih convoy was also launched and targeted all parts of Malaysia to raise awareness of the current democratic problems nationwide.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Background

Incumbent Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied any wrongdoing amidst the ongoing 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal and former premier Mahathir Mohamad has come out in support of pro Bersih campaigners.^[11]

Steven Gan, an editor of an online news website Malaysiakini was charged in court under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act for the reporting of Prime Minister Najib and 1Malaysia Development Berhad, leading up to the rally.^[12][13][14]

Red Shirts

The Red Shirts were basically formed to opposed the activities of Bersih, especially its criticisms of the government and to support the government.^[15] Many members of the Red Shirts consists of UMNO, which is the ruling party in Malaysia.^[16][17][18]

The pro government group led by Jamal Yunos indicates that the Red Shirts will confront the yellow shirt Bersih protesters during the stipulated rally on 19 November 2016. In a prelude encounter, Jamal Yunos was injured with his nose bloodied in Ampang during a filmed scuffle with the police, with Jamal shouting that he was punched by the police.^[19] He later changed his statement because he was threatened by the government, claiming he was punched by a Bersih supporter.^[19]

Pre-rally plans

Bersih convoy

Bersih organised a convoy of vehicles to tour parts of Peninsula Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak to disseminate information to the public about the Bersih's goals regarding institutional reforms and creating awareness about the 1MDB scandal.^[20] Throughout their nationwide roadshow in Peninsula Malaysia, the Bersih convoy had to endure harassment from anti-Bersih groups such as the Red Shirts and the police.^[21][22][23]

Pre-rally arrests

The Malaysian police, during their raid on Bersih's office in Petaling Jaya arrested Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and secretariat Mandeep Singh for their part in organising the rally.^[24][25] Maria Chin was charged under the Security Offences Act 2012, with the police saying that it was to prevent riots and breach of the peace and public order.^[26] Ronnie Liu, an opposition leader of the Democratic Action Party was arrested as well on charges on attempting a riot.^[27] Anthony Loke, another member of DAP was also arrested in an investigation on his speech calling for the removal of Prime Minister Najib.^[28] S Arulchelvan, an opposition leader from Parti Sosialis Malaysia was arrested in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.^[29] Another member of the Bersih committee, Hishamuddin Rais was arrested a few hours before the rally began.^[30] Bersih officials have condemned the arrest as a blatant abuse of power and harassment by the authorities.^[31][32]

The leader of the Red Shirts, a group opposing Bersih and their Yellow Shirt followers, Jamal Yunos was arrested a few hours before the Bersih rally began.^[33]

Rally incidents

The counter-rally by the Red Shirts ended prematurely after they were unable to get past the police blockade to confront the Bersih rally-goers, with a majority of them dispersing at Padang Merbok.^[34][35]

There have been claims of police firing live ammunition into crowds of Bersih supporters, killing over 350 people.

Aftermath

Even though the protests ended peacefully, the arrests against Bersih protestors such as People's Justice Party (Malaysia)'s Tian Chua and Zuraida Kamaruddin were conducted.^[36][37]

Reactions

Prime Minister

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who was in Tokyo, said that Malaysians should respect the law and avoid chaos and physical clashes. He also claimed that Malaysians should elect their leaders without having to protest as it was not Malaysia's culture, despite the fact that right of peaceful assembly (which Bersih exercised) is legally provided for in Malaysia.^[38]

Malaysia Police

Inspector General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar stated that Bersih 5 does not fulfil the Section 10(c) and Section 11 of Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 as there was no consent letter was produced for the venue of the rally, Dataran Merdeka.^[39]

Non-governmental organisations

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the spate of arrests by the government of Malaysian activists as a form of intimidation and harassment against dissent.^[40][41][42]

References

External links

• Bersih 2.0
• Global Bersih

Protests in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur	1946–47 anti-Malayan Union protests 1947 All-Malaya Hartal 1967 Keranda 152 rally 1969 Malaysian students pre-election demonstrations 13 May 1969 riots 1969 PMUM Anti-Tunku demonstrations 1970 PMUM vs PBMUM Papan Tanda demonstrations 1971 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1983 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1993 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1998–2000s Reformasi demonstrations 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2007 BERSIH 1.0 rally 2007 HINDRAF rally 2008 Black 14 rally 2008 Malaysian fuel hike protests 2009 Keranda 152 rally 2009 anti-ISA rally 2009 anti-Menteri Besar Terengganu rally 2011 anti-Peaceful Assembly Act rally 2011 BERSIH 2.0 rally Occupy Dataran 2012 Free Anwar 901 rally 2012 BERSIH 3.0 rally 2012 anti-Lynas rally 2013 anti-Jamalul Kiram III infiltration protests 2013 KL 112, People’s Uprising rally 2013 Blackout 505 rallies 2013 Ops Turun, anti-price hike rally 2014 Red Pencil protest 2014 May Day anti-GST rally 2015 Rakyat Hakim Negara rally 2015 Kita Lawan, May Day anti-GST rally 2015 #TangkapNajib rally 2015 Low Yat Plaza riot 2015 BERSIH 4.0 rally 2015 United People's rally 2015 Shutdown Sungai Besi rally 2016 anti-TPPA rally 2016 Keranda 152 rally 2016 Muafakat Selamatkan Malaysia rally 2016 Hancur GST, Undur Najib, Undur Rosmah, Bebas Anwar, Hidup Rakyat rally 2016 BERSIH 5.0 rally
Other	1946–50 anti-cession movement of Sarawak 1963 anti-Indonesia infiltration demonstrations 1964 race riots in Singapore 1966 Sarawak constitutional crisis 1967 Teluk Gong demonstrations 1967 Penang Hartal riot 1974 Baling demonstrations 1974 Tasek Utara, Johor demonstrations 1977 Kelantan riots 1985 Memali riots 1986 Sabah riots 1993 Sultan of Kelantan demonstrations 1998 Kampung Rawa riots 2009 Perak constitutional crisis 2009 1BLACKMalaysia protests 2009 cow's head protests 2009 anti-PPSMI rally 2010 Water for People rally 2011 Gathering of a Million Faithful 2012 Orange rally 2012 Green Rally to Putrajaya 2012 People's Lands rally 2015 Taman Medan anti-cross protest 2015 Sarawak for Sarawakians rally 2015 Penang villagers protests
Student activism in Malaysia · The Big Durian (2003 film) · Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka (2007 film) · Malaysian Gods (2009 film) · Tanda Putera (2013 film)