‘Bersih was Anwar’s baby, Ambiga his shield’

According to an ex-PKR official, Bersih 1 rally had proved to be a “wheel of fortune” for PKR and the party transformed from rags to riches

BUTTERWORTH: A former PKR official, who was once involved in organising party demonstrations, has alleged that the idea of Bersih was mooted by Anwar Ibrahim way back in 2007.

Syamsul Hidayat Mohd Sharif, PKR’s ex-Youth information chief, claimed said Bersih was not an independent, non-political movement championing free, fair and clean elections.

He said Anwar, the party’s de facto leader, mooted the idea to  revive his waning 1998 ‘reformasi’ call, bolster PKR’s finances and fuel public hostility against the Barisan Nasional government.

“Truth is Bersih was never independent.  It’s a political movement to vilify BN.

“Bersih is Anwar’s baby and he uses (S) Ambiga as a shield,” said Syamsul, who recently joined Umno.

Speaking at a political gathering in Raja Uda here last night, he further mocked  Bersih claims that it is purely seeking electoral reform under the current leadership of Ambiga.

“Anwar first wanted to hold the Bersih 1 mammoth rally in Nov 2007 to stir up opposition against the government prior to the last general election.

“He mooted the idea to cry for electoral reforms after receiving inside information that (then prmier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would hold the 12th general election in early 2008.

“Anwar wanted to clone his reformasi rallies of 1998,” said Syamsul.

He said Anwar was convinced the Bersih rally would be an effective political vehicle given the success of previous ’refomasi’ rallies in galvanising Malay voters against Umno and BN, and in toppling the Terengganu state government in the 1999 general election.

Bersih, a windfall for PKR?

He said Anwar also needed to ‘recharge batteries’ of his weary party members.

“Hence he organised the Bersih rally to capture public imagination by accusing the nation’s electoral process was dirty,” said Syamsul.

He said it was PKR’s Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul who had proposed to turn Bersih into a yellow rally to reflect the royal colour.

He said Johari argued that Malay rulers and security forces would not stand against Bersih due to the colour.

During Bersih 1, Syamsul was  in charge of making arrangement to ferry demonstrators from the east-coast to Kuala Lumpur.

He claimed that Bersih 1 rally was a windfall and proved to be a wheel of fortune for PKR as the party suddenly transformed from rags to riches.

“Previously the party struggled to pay staff salaries for months.

“But thanks to Bersih, PKR suddenly became rich,” claimed Syamsul, who previously also worked in PKR’s former headquarters in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.

The political gathering is part of a nationwide road show themed “The days we were in Pakatan” and it’s being organised by former members of Pakatan Rakyat.

Other speakers present were DAP’s ex-national vice-chairman Tunku Aziz Ibrahim, branch chief Tan Tuan Tat and former PKR members Muhammad Rahimi Osman, his father Osman Ishak and Sim Bak Siong.