Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) is back, after four years, with a nationwide Cycle for Change 2.0 awareness campaign, launching it at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall today.
It is organised to build awareness and bring about changes in thinking on issues such as the lack of affordable living space, privatisation of basic amenities such as water, food, health and education and on environmentally damaging projects, to name a few.
The "Cycle for Change" campaign this year by Jerit, an NGO made up of youths, will kick off outside Pasar Besar in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, this Friday and end at Wisma Negeri Sembilan, also in the state capital, next Monday.
There, Jerit will hand over a memorandum outlining the people's concerns over the social and economic issues to Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan and the MP for Rasah, Anthony Loke of the DAP.
The demands of the Cycle for Change campaign are free and fair elections, protecting the earth from pollution, adequate housing, stopping the privatisation of public amenities, protecting the well-being of workers, safeguarding the people's right to assemble and opinion and abolishing draconian laws that violate human rights.
It is organised to build awareness and bring about changes in thinking on issues such as the lack of affordable living space, privatisation of basic amenities such as water, food, health and education and on environmentally damaging projects, to name a few.
The "Cycle for Change" campaign this year by Jerit, an NGO made up of youths, will kick off outside Pasar Besar in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, this Friday and end at Wisma Negeri Sembilan, also in the state capital, next Monday.There, Jerit will hand over a memorandum outlining the people's concerns over the social and economic issues to Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan and the MP for Rasah, Anthony Loke of the DAP.
The demands of the Cycle for Change campaign are free and fair elections, protecting the earth from pollution, adequate housing, stopping the privatisation of public amenities, protecting the well-being of workers, safeguarding the people's right to assemble and opinion and abolishing draconian laws that violate human rights.
Focus will continue to be on rural areas
The local coordinator of the campaign in Negeri Sembilan, S Tinagaran, said today 23 locations would be covered by the cyclists, who will meet with the people and compile their complaints and the problems they face, with the focus on the rural areas of the state.
Tinagaran said the campaign was getting a good support from young people throughout the nation and also from the Pakatan Rakyat parties.
Asked why Negeri Sembilan was chosen as the starting point of the campaign, Jerit coordinator M Sivaranjani said the largest number of responses to the campaign came from people in that state, with the youths there ready to start the campaign.
Sivaranjani said 20 people have registered for the cycle campaign so far and that more people would be joining in from various locations in Negeri Sembilan.
Jerit launched a similar, 16-day ‘cycle for change'campaign nationwide in 2008, with more than 150 cyclists taking part.
The campaign ended with a memorandum raising the people's concerns on the Minimum Wage Act, housing, control of consumer prices and other social issues handed over to Parliament.
The campaign was a success despite the obstacles and harassment of Jerit and the cyclists, such as being stopped by police in several parts of the peninsular, during their journey to the Parliament House to submit the memorandum.
"The issues raised are not new but are certainly urgent and need to be addressed by the government," Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah, who was present at the launch, said.
Jerit's move to carry out the cycle campaign, Maria said, was bold and that she was confident the NGO would will continue to help make positive changes for the people.
Ng Yap Hwa of the LG Cultural Development Centre described the campaign as a good way to get the middle class people to join and express their concerns over the issues faced.
Human rights NGO Suaram's project coordinator Ahmad Syukri said Jerit was more prepared for the problems that arose during its 2008 campaign and that it had safety measures for the cyclists in place.
Ahmad said the efforts put into this campaign were commendable as it would help to spread the message on the social issues faced by the people in the rural areas and that these should be taken seriously by the government.
Tinagaran said the campaign was getting a good support from young people throughout the nation and also from the Pakatan Rakyat parties.
Asked why Negeri Sembilan was chosen as the starting point of the campaign, Jerit coordinator M Sivaranjani said the largest number of responses to the campaign came from people in that state, with the youths there ready to start the campaign.Sivaranjani said 20 people have registered for the cycle campaign so far and that more people would be joining in from various locations in Negeri Sembilan.
Jerit launched a similar, 16-day ‘cycle for change'campaign nationwide in 2008, with more than 150 cyclists taking part.
The campaign ended with a memorandum raising the people's concerns on the Minimum Wage Act, housing, control of consumer prices and other social issues handed over to Parliament.
The campaign was a success despite the obstacles and harassment of Jerit and the cyclists, such as being stopped by police in several parts of the peninsular, during their journey to the Parliament House to submit the memorandum.
"The issues raised are not new but are certainly urgent and need to be addressed by the government," Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah, who was present at the launch, said.
Jerit's move to carry out the cycle campaign, Maria said, was bold and that she was confident the NGO would will continue to help make positive changes for the people.
Ng Yap Hwa of the LG Cultural Development Centre described the campaign as a good way to get the middle class people to join and express their concerns over the issues faced.
Human rights NGO Suaram's project coordinator Ahmad Syukri said Jerit was more prepared for the problems that arose during its 2008 campaign and that it had safety measures for the cyclists in place.
Ahmad said the efforts put into this campaign were commendable as it would help to spread the message on the social issues faced by the people in the rural areas and that these should be taken seriously by the government.
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