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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Bersih ready to disclose funding sources

INTERVIEW Electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0, accused by government supporters of covertly receiving foreign funding to destabilise the country, is ready to disclose its funding sources.

NONEIn an interview with Malaysiakinilast week, Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said that the July 9 rally was a people's movement fully funded by Malaysians.

"For the rally, it was entirely a Malaysian-funded exercise," she said.

Besides allocation from the Selangor state government, Ambiga revealed that rest came from ordinary Malaysians in small amounts made through bank transfers just before the rally.

Last month, Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim defended the RM15,000 allocation for the rally, describing it as his government's contribution to the "effective running of democracy".

Although the rally did not cost the movement a fortune, Ambiga said that part of the collection was set aside for bail in case of arrest.

Some of the funding was paid to the staff of Empower, an NGO which serves as the secretariat of Bersih 2.0, as well as allowances for other volunteers.

On the allegation of foreign funds, she said that two foreign organisations - National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) - had given financial assistance to Bersih 2.0 but specifically for a future project related to delineation and not for the rally.

Nevertheless, the electoral reform movement is prepared to come clean on its funding.

NONE"I have absolutely no qualms about disclosing all that... We are going to disclose this, but unfortunately the police took away all of our records. It is all there," said Ambiga.

Police raided the Empower office in Petaling Jaya on June 19.

The men in blue detained seven Empower staff and seized a consignment of Bersih 2.0 T-shirts as well as a number of documents, including records of donation.

According to Ambiga, the police ban on the iconic yellow T-shirt of Bersih 2.0 had cut off one of Bersih 2.0's income sources, but this was offset by the public donations which came in just before the rally.

Alleged ties to foreign Christian groups


Before the rally, Umno-linked Utusan Malaysia has accused that the coalition of being funded with millions of ringgit by foreign Christian organisations, including the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Canadian Allied Foundation, to underwrite the July 9 rally.

It was also alleged that Bersih had been infiltrated by foreign elements to create chaos in the country.

Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar subsequently announced that the police had begun investigation into the allegation. However, till today the police have yet to disclose the outcome of their probe.

According to its official website, NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation and accountability in government.

It is funded by more than 160 organisations, including the National Endowment for Democracy, the US Agency for International Development, the US State Department and other international development agencies as well as private donations.

Meanwhile, OSI is established by investor and philanthropist George Soros, which aims to build vibrant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. - Malaysiakini

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