UPDATED In a move that many pundits have been expecting, Prime Minister Najib Razak rushed to seize the offensive by agreeing to let the Bersih 2.0 rally carry on so long as it was held in a stadium. However, his perceived manipulation up to the very highest level, even to the King, might scupper his offer to the Bersih organizers.
Not only are Bersih supporters enraged at the way Najib has tried to scare the nation into a state of docility by rampant arrests and threats of Emergency rule, his ruthless bullying of six Parti Sosialis Malaysia members is unlikely to be forgiven.
They are also aghast that instead of heeding the call of the King to conciliate, Najib had issued a fresh threat that time was running out.
"They have been trying to railroad us into a rally in a stadium since at least two weeks ago. So as we expected, they used all the scare-mongering just to achieve this effect but I think Bersih should not disappoint the people. It should stand on high ground and try and seek a meeting with the King before making any decision," a Bersih supporter told Malaysia Chronicle.
"They should complain about Najib's bad management of the country and how he is willing to sacrifice the nation just to cling to power. They should also urge the King to release the PSM 6 because Najib may use this as ransom for their release.
Meanwhile, amid rising calls for Bersih to be careful against any trickery, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim advised Bersih organizers to seek an audience with the King to discuss Malaysia's notoriouly 'dirty' electoral system. The free-and-fair polls watchdog body is seeking 8 electoral reforms from the BN government.
"I hope Bersih will consider a royal audience with Tuanku to show the flaws and fraud of the Election Commission,” said Anwar on his Twitter, after discussing the matter with PAS president Hadi Awang and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.
New threat
Meanwhile, Najib said that this was a "reminder before it is too late".
"If they want to submit a memorandum and so forth they can show democratic decency by cooperating with authorities. We are willing to provide a stadium for them to rally but why choose to protest in the streets. The government is not against them rallying in a stadium from morning until night. Just don’t hold street protest as it is very risky to the nation,” the PM was reported as saying.
While the PM spoke about the dangers of street protests and "democratic decency", he omitted to mention his recent one-million Youths gathering in Putrajaya was also a street assembly. Neither did he mention that the Bersih rally is only meant to be a short walk, supposed to last just two hours, and the organisers had already agreed to accept any choice of route by the police.
He also made no mention of the PSM 6, nor explain why holding the rally in a stadium would not attract danger from Communists, foreign agents and "major powers" as suggested by himself, his cousin Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
"We are disappointed to find out that what we had expected has come true. The Najib administration is hiding behind the King, it looks like another of those 'I help you, you help me' projects," another Bersih supporter toldMalaysia Chronicle.
Fears dissipating as savvy Malaysians review the pros and cons
Meanwhile, public fears about Emergency rule is dissipating faster than expected - a very telling sign for Najib and the UMNO elite that their favourite modus operandi was losing effect. In the past, the Emergency rule in the aftermath of the May 13, 1969 racial riots and during the Communist insurgency of 1948 to 1960 was a favorite bogeyman.
But with education and the Internet, the majority of Malaysians are bright enough to realize that instead of trapping them, Emergency rule would only entrap Najib and his BN coalition. Many Malaysians are prepared to join the rally despite the heavy threats made by the authorities and this include all the races such as the Malays, Indians and Chinese.
Civil rights icons, such as the 76-year national laureate A Samad Said, had over the weekend called on Malaysian writers and intellectuals to take a stand against the "evil" that was pervading the country. Supporting his call was the 32-year old Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah, who urged Malaysians to be brave.
"Writers seldom take a stand. Most of them are 'carma' (or seeking to make a profit) and are always prepared to not take a stand. This has caused all the evil to grow and spread tremendously," said Samad.
"For the mainstream media, Bersih is dirty. I'm also surprised, why these experienced pressmen who have won awards here and there, can smear Bersih. I know they are from the 'carma' group. Fortunately there is still a small number of writers who dare to take a stand, who know that Bersih is pure."
Emergency rule would trigger BN's downfall
Even those who come from pro-establishment backgrounds have advised the Najib administration to think carefully before launching any further crackdowns. To them, it was too huge a gamble for the Najib administration to take and could precipitate a face-off that was in any case inevitable.
They said it was better for Najib to accept the reality and the status-quo rather than resort to the "binge of madness" that characterised last week's rampant arrests of anyone wearing yellow T-shirts. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are among the high-profile global groups that have condemned Najib's government for "muzzling" democracy and calls for electoral reforms.
"Unfortunate to even have to reach a stage of thinking about an Emergency. Emergency rule must be out of the question. I urge the PM to seriously reflect. Emergency is not just about security. It will create tremendous and long-lasting repercussions for Malaysia. It signals the death knell for democracy and we could see huge capital flight if he does not immediately correct the impression that he is giving," past president of Transparency International Ramon Navaratnam told Malaysia Chronicle.
"The solution is not in blaming the opposition or forcing the Bersih to cancel the rally. It is for the government to knuckle down and accept that Malaysia has transformed. The Najib administration must trust its own citizens and not threaten something as serious as Emergency just to hold onto the upperhand."
- Malaysia Chronicle
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