Pak Samad sees government plot to ‘demonise’ Bersih 2.0

Samad (left) says the government was orchestrating attacks against Bersih via the media. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — Datuk A. Samad Said alleged today the existence of a planned conspiracy to demonise Bersih 2.0 as a movement to topple the government, as claimed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak shortly after the group held its April 28 sit-in.

The national literary icon and Bersih 2.0 co-chairman denied the allegation and added: “If we want to topple the government, we want to do it through a clean election”.

He complained that since the sit-in last month, Bersih 2.0 has been forced to defend itself repeatedly in the media against accusations that the group’s key objective was not to push for electoral reforms but to help the opposition’s campaign to topple Barisan Nasional (BN) in Putrajaya.

“Bersih 2.0 has been assaulted since then (April 28), day after day, and we have had to defend ourselves, day after day.

“It seems this is an organised and planned move to demonise Bersih 2.0, which is really a movement to demand clean and fair elections,” the white-bearded poet told a press conference here.

Samad said, however, it was futile for Bersih 2.0 to seek a meeting with government leaders to explain its true objectives as the bulk of the allegations had come from the government.

“What’s the point? They are the ones who keep slandering us, repeatedly claiming that Bersih 2.0 wants to topple the government.

“And what is worse is that they continue to do this because the mainstream media is on their side,” he said.

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