Khairy says no reason for Bersih to demonstrate

There is no reason for electoral reform pressure group Bersih to take to the streets because most of the NGO's demands have been addressed by the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform, a BN parliamentarian has argued.

"If we look at it honestly, seven out of the eight Bersih demands are already in the recommendations of the PSC. The only one not included is minimum campaign period of 21 days.

"Everything else has been addressed, with reforms promised in the near term," Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) said while debating the 2012 Supplementary Supply Bill in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Khairy ( right ) was commenting on the announcement by the pro-electoral reform group that it will hold a sit-down protest at the Dataran Merdeka on 2pm April 28.

He accused Bersih of being in collusion with the opposition to complicate matters, calling the decision to rally as "insincere".

The demonstration, he claimed, was an attempt to manipulate the issue of fair elections for other agendas.

The one or two examples given by the opposition to cast doubts on the electoral roll, he said, did not negate the viability of the entire electoral roll.

Bung Mokthar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) echoed Khairy's criticism of the planned Bersih 3.0 protest, labelling it the recourse of those who have lost their senses.

"Demonstrations are only used by people who have lost their minds. Those who gather there that day will be people who have lost their minds," Bung Mokhtar jibed during his turn in the debate.

'Bersih has lost the plot'

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called on the people to reject the third Bersih rally planned April 28 because the NGO coalition for electoral reform has veered from its main agenda.

In a Berita Harian report today, Ahmad Zahid ( left ) who is also an Umno vice-president, is quoted as saying that calling for the rally despite having most of its demands met showed that Bersih was a front for Pakatan Rakyat.

“Its suggestions should have been made to the PSC which was set up to discuss Bersih’s eight demands; not through holding yet another massive rally.

“Most of the eight demands have been met while the rest are being considered by the Election Commission, so Bersih should not think that its demands were not met,” Zahid is reported as saying.

The Bersih 2.0 committee today announced that it will hold a sit-in protest at Dataran Merdeka on April 28, as it is disappointed with the PSC report tabled in Parliament yesterday.

The NGO coalition claims the PSC report had failed in five key areas:

1. Manipulation of the electoral roll;

2.The citizenship-for-votes scam in peninsular Malaysia;

3. Enforcement of the Election Offences Act 1954 and enhancing the definition of election offences;

4. A plan to stop “dirty politics”; and

5. Inviting international observers.