Putrajaya’s JASA slams Bersih 3.0 as an opposition plot

Putrajaya’s image had taken a beating in the events leading up to and following the Bersih rally. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 ― The Department of Special Affairs (JASA) has criticised electoral reform movement Bersih and its sit-in protest last April as an opposition plot, Chinese language daily Sin Chew reported today.

The agency under the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry made its criticisms in a 322-page booklet titled “Panduan Penjelasan Isu Semasa (Guide Explaining Current Affairs)” that was distributed free-of-charge to the public, the newspaper reported.

In the booklet prepared by JASA’s Panel Pemikir, a question-and-answer section on the Bersih 3.0 rally last April appeared to attack the gathering for electoral reform.

“Bersih 3.0 rally’s true purpose is the opposition’s plot, [an] attempt to attack the image of the Election Commission and the government led by Prime Minister Najib; the eight demands have a political purpose and have no connection with the reform of Malaysia’s election,” Sin Chew quoted the booklet, which was published in the Malay language.

According to Sin Chew, one of the 17 answers on Bersih stated that the rally in Kuala Lumpur only attracted 25,000 participants, contrasting with Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s alleged statement before the rally that 300,000 would turn up.

The booklet also claimed that there were rally participants who purportedly admitted that they were paid RM100 each to show up and provided with three days’ food and accommodation, Sin Chew reported.

Also included in the booklet was a disclaimer that attributed the views published solely to the panel and not the agency as a whole.

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