Rais: ‘Bersih in a plot to overthrow govt’

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim is convinced that Bersih 2.0 is a precursor to societal chaos.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) is out to overthrow the government and cause social chaos, a minister said today.

Minister of Information, Communications and Culture Rais Yatim said that Bersih 2.0′s planned July 9 “Walk for Democracy” rally was nothing more than a plot to force power from the Barisan Nasional’s hands.

“It looks like these parties that are working for July 9 have no other way. They think that this is a way to shake and disrupt the peace that we have and grab power,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby.

“This is a social coup which is happening at the moment.”

Rais said that the Bersih 2.0 proponents were resorting to methods involving “illegal power grabs” and “mass psychology”.

The minister then reminded “educated and right-thinking” Malaysians to oppose Bersih, which he claimed was “evil” and “illegal according to the law”.

Rais was referring to Bersih supporters and Malaysian Socialist Party (PSM) activists who were arrested by the police yesterday.

Thirty people, including Sungai Siput D Jeyakumar were remanded by the police for supposedly spreading communism.

Police claimed that the group, who were arrested while traveling in a bus near Penang, were caught with Malayan Communist Party (MCP) materials.

‘Bersih representing a minority’

Speaking in support of the arrests, Rais attacked PSM for supporting communism.

“Communism is not recognised in Malaysia, and this has been stamped in Malaysia’s struggle and in the spirit of the (Federal) Constitution, and the practice of democracy.”

“Those who want communism to come back have to be caught, and strict action has to be taken against them by the authorities,” the minister said.

Yesterday, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said that only three T-shirts with images of former communist leaders Chin Peng and Rashid Maidin had been found on the activists arrested.

Rais also touched on the BN government’s mandate, which he claimed was fighting for “the majority’s survival”.

“We cannot excuse these things before they happen. We have to take these actions for the majority’s survival.”

He also brushed aside the demands of Bersih supporters, including the PSM activists, adding that they only represented the country’s minority.

“This is not the survival of the minority. The importance of the majority in our country gives us the power and the legitimacy to the BN, and also to be led by the Prime Minister,” Rais said.