http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/say-no-to-the-spectre-of-may-13-ch\
ew-mei-fun-must-retract-her-fear-mongering-statement-and-apologize/

Say No to the Spectre of May 13 - Chew Mei Fun must retract her
fear-mongering statement and apologize

Posted by Haris Ibrahim January 23, 2008

Endorsees to the press statement since this post went up :

1. Paul Warren
2. Farida Ibrahim
3. Angelia Ong
4. Benny Loh
_________________________

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT BY CONCERNED MALAYSIANS ON 22 JANUARY 2008:

We, the undersigned civil society groups and concerned citizens of diverse
ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds, stress that all Malaysians have
the right to choose their representatives and the government in a free, fair
and clean election. No individual politician or political party should
resort to threats or intimidation to influence the voter's decision.

We lament that Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, MCA MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, as
reported in the China Press on January 21 (Monday), has conveyed this
fear-mongering message to the public: "If there is insufficient Chinese
representation in the Barisan Nasional, it is not a good thing, the Chinese
community cannot afford another May 13 incident."

http://harismibrahim.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/chew-mei-fun-statement.jpg

The May 13 ethnic riot in 1969 was a dark chapter in Malaysia's political
history where political violence and manipulation overshadowed the
democratic process as well as the voice of the people. Invoking the bitter
memories of this tragic incident for political gain is a huge insult to
those who died, the surviving victims and their families. This veiled threat
to voters not to support the opposition parties is shameless and unbecoming
of a responsible political leader.

If Chew is aware of certain quarters planning to use violence in response to
a certain electoral outcome, she who has been speaking tirelessly on public
safety should lodge a police report immediately and assist in the police
investigation.

If she is merely speculating, we are truly disappointed that she has stooped
so low in fishing for support. Politicians should not behave like gangsters.
They should not use the threat of violence to solicit vote, as gangsters do
to extort money.

By making this statement, Chew has in fact violated Section 9 (1) of the
Election Offences Act 1954:

Undue influence
9. (1) Every person who, before, during or after an election, directly or
indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes use of or
threatens to make use of any force, violence, or restraint, or inflicts or
threatens to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any temporal or
spiritual injury, damage, harm, or loss upon or against any person in order
to induce or compel such person to vote or refrain from voting, or on
account of such person having voted or refrained from voting, at any
election, or who by abduction, duress, or any fraudulent device or
contrivance impedes or prevents the free exercise of the franchise of any
elector or voter, or thereby compels, induces, or prevails upon any elector
or voter either to give or refrain from giving his vote at any election, or
who directly or indirectly interferes or attempts to interfere with the free
exercise by any person of any electoral right shall be guilty of the offence
of undue influence.

While waiting for the Election Commission to investigate and lodge a police
report, we call upon Chew to do the honorable thing. She should retract her
statement and apologize unreservedly for her fear-mongering act. She must
condemn unreservedly the use of political violence in Malaysia.

Voters must be assured of their right to vote for any candidate or party of
their choice in an environment that is free from fear and intimidation.

We also call upon the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Badawi to
disassociate his administration and party from Chew's fear-mongering
statement and condemn unreservedly the use of threats and intimidation on
voters.

We must not let Malaysia become a failed state where political violence
rules, like Pakistan. We must not allow any party to 'play with fire'. We
categorically reject anyone who uses the spectre of May 13 as a bogeyman to
threaten Malaysians.

All individuals or civil society organisations in support of democracy may
endorse this statement by displaying a copy of this statement on their
premises, vehicles or the front page of their blogs or websites, until Chew
retract the statement and apologizes.

Civil Society Organisations:
Coalition For Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH)
Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC)
Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)
Malaysian Voters Union (MALVU)
Save Ourselves (SOS Penang)
PJ Utara Get An MP Initiative

Individuals:
Haris Ibrahim
Wong Chin Huat
____

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/77410

If elected reps don't perform, tell the world
Syed Jaymal Zahiid | Jan 24, 08 8:33pm [extract]

Transparency International (TI) president Ramon Navaratnam has urged
Malaysians to be more proactive when it comes to safeguarding democracy in
the country.

Speaking at a TI workshop on free and fair elections today, he said one of
the ways the people can do that is to highlight the inefficiency of elected
representatives in their constituency.

"Do anything. Blog, post your writings on the internet or the media. Observe
the work rate of your elected representative and if he or she is not doing
enough for your community, tell it to the world," Ramon told an audience of
some 50 guests.
[...]
____

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/
2140090/Article/index_html

Anwar sets sights on by-election
2008/01/24

KUANTAN: Opposition politician Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he would
contest a by-election if he was not allowed to be a candidate in the
upcoming general election.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser said he would ask one of the party's
elected representatives to vacate his or her seat to enable a by-election to
be held after April.

"I have enough friends who are willing to surrender his or her seat to allow
me to contest a by-election," he said after attending separate
meet-the-people sessions with the Chinese and Indian communities before
holding a ceramah in Kampung Pandan 2 here on Tuesday night.

Anwar, who served a six-year jail term for corruption, can only take part in
the election after April 15, five years after the end of his sentence.

On whether having a by-election would be unfair to PKR elected
representatives, Anwar said PKR members were more than willing to surrender
their seats for him.

He also said voters should not have problems supporting him as he was the
adviser to the party that they had voted for.

PKR has only a single parliamentary seat, won by his wife Datin Seri Wan
Azizah Ismail, who is the party president.

Anwar also said PKR would field credible individuals including more women,
in the general election. He said the party would focus on the Kuantan and
Pekan seats in Pahang as he claimed the party had a strong presence in both
constituencies.
____

Umno Youth Calls Anwar's Action Arrogant
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=310033

If elected reps don't perform, tell the world
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/77410

'Doggies' to work together for voters' rights
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/77395
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