As electoral reform watchdog Bersih 2.0 finalises details for this weekend’s overnight rally in Kuala Lumpur, plans for the Bersih 4 UK Solidarity Rally are also gaining steam after a pep talk by human rights advocate and lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan on Sunday.
Ambiga, who addressed a crowd of mostly Malaysians living in the UK and students at an event hosted by the Monsoons Book Club in London two days ago, spoke about Malaysia's current state of brokenness.
She also said that the rally was meant as a protest calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Among those who attended the talk was author and Islamic scholar Farouk A. Peru, who told The Malaysian Insider that attendees posed several questions to the lawyer, including whether the prime minister would heed Bersih's call and the type of political reforms needed in Malaysia.
When asked what Malaysians living the UK were most concerned about, Farouk said it was the sense of feeling betrayed by the government.
"The economic situation has contributed but overall, it is the feeling of being callously treated by Umno," he said in an email interview.
Meanwhile Bersih 4 coordinator in London Yolanda Augustin said that the rally was being held in solidarity with Malaysians calling for restoration of basic civil liberties, human rights and a functional democracy.
She added that the rampant corruption happening in Malaysia was appalling.
"The rampant corruption of an epic scale, spiralling human rights abuses and crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly in recent months has been truly appalling.
"The global Malaysian diaspora must stand up with our fellow Malaysians back home and say enough is enough!
"We have to call for an end to this completely unacceptable situation that is having profound and devastating effects on the lives of ordinary Malaysians back home," she said in an email interview.
Augustin added that there was an urgent need to let the world know the truth about what was going on in the country, where taxpayers’ money was used to promote a "sham tropical paradise".
The rally in London scheduled for 2pm this Saturday will see participants marching from the Malaysian High Commission in Belgravia, to Downing Street and on to Trafalgar Square.
Some 300 Malaysians have registered their interest to join the London rally.
- TMI
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