Bersih virtual protest game on Facebook

Inspired from the street protests, netizens have invented an online game called Bersih Election 2013 protest game.

PETALING JAYA: The Bersih protest for free and fair elections continues. This time netizens have taken the protest into social networking site, Facebook in the form of an online game called the Bersih Election 2013 protest game.

The game is inspired by the Bersih 3.0 street protest that took place on April 28, 2012 where tens of thousands of people thronged Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

The police had cordoned off the road – Jalan Raja, but it didn’t deter the masses from surrounding the area. A police car was overturned on that day and this is depicted in the game.

The game has extensive graphic features. It depicts the people who are demanding reforms on one side and the establishment on another.

Both groups are separated by a gated wall. Within the gated wall there is a building that symbolises the government in power.

Players of this game are required to complete a certain set of tasks such as to vandalise the walls with slogans critical of the Election Commission (EC).

Among the phrases that appear when an act of vandalism is done is “SPR Penipu” (EC A Liar) and “Jangan jadi lembu BN” (Don’t be BN’s cow).

Three women also feature prominently in this game. One is Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s wife, Rosmah Mansor who is depicted as a golden statue.

Rosmah has been in the limelight especially in the alternative media for her extravagant lifestyle and expenditure.

Another women is former Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil who was in the limelight over her husband’s mismanagement of RM250 million in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) scandal. Her husband, Salleh Ismail is NFCorp’s executive chairman.

The NFCorp scandal that was originally meant to boost local beef production came to light after it was mentioned in the 2011 Auditor General’s report. Following that, PKR’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli went on to make a series of exposures that resulted in him being charged under the Banking and Financial Act last year.

Shahrizat too commenced court proceedings against Rafizi for implicating her in the scandal.

Her character in the game says: “I am the RM1 million cow, moo”

Sis Listen
The third is “Sis Listen”. Sis Listen is a moniker given by public to Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M) president, Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin.

She caught the public attention after a video of her berating a Universiti Utara Malaysia student in a forum that went viral on Youtube and Facebook last month. The forum took place in December.

Aside from the ladies, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is depicted in a yellow underwear saying “Fitnah” while carrying a banner that reads as “Sodomy”. This is in reference to the two sodomy trials – in 1998 and 2010.

Lynas Corporation that deals with rare earth processing is also featured in this game. People in Gebeng, Kuantan are opposing the the rare earth project as they fear for their safety.

The federal government however is backing the Australian company and assured the people of their safety.

While all these people were represented, none of the Bersih steering committee members were depicted in the game.