The Malaysian Insight

ELECTION watchdog Bersih 2.0 today launched its Ketuanan Pengundi (voters’ supremacy) campaign, which seeks to uplift the superiority of voters side-lined over the past few years due to politicking.

Chairman Thomas Fann, said the campaign – held in conjunction with International Democracy Day - aims to reclaim democratic space for the people and refocus its priorities on voters instead of politicians.

During a virtual launch on Zoom today, he said Bersih 2.0 proposes six demands of Ketuanan Pengundi that should be supported and adopted by all political parties to make democracy more robust and to allow political parties to compete on a more level playing field.

The six demands are: not to suppress the public’s votes, stop party hopping, make the people’s Parliament work, acknowledge the public’s right to dissent, no double standards, and to give taxpayers a voice.

The campaign will run until the next general election with the aim of generating public support and pushing political parties to adopt in their election manifesto key reforms that would strengthen the rights of voters and democracy.

Several civil society organisations and think tanks were also present at the launch today, including Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas), Undi18, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Rise of Social Efforts (ROSE) and Komas.

The organisations and think tanks gave their full support to Bersih 2.0 for its new campaign.

Suaram’s executive director, Sevan Doraisamy, said the initiative was timely as it has been quite some time since the people had their say in the country’s democracy.

He said people were now being investigated for questioning their leaders under legislation such as the Sedition Act.

Since the start of the pandemic, activists and reporters have been called up and investigated by authorities over peaceful demonstrations as well as illustrations and publications that were deemed provocative or trying to stir anti-government sentiment.

Sevan also said that it was important to hold politicians accountable after they had agreed to carry the public’s demands in their manifesto.

“More often than not, they put the people’s demands in their manifesto and don’t follow through, instead they just do what they want,” he said.

Qyira Yusri of Undi18 said she welcomed the campaign to highlight the importance of the voters’ voice in the next upcoming general election.

“I think in the past two years at least, we have seen how politicians can easily betray the people’s trust, and also a rise in political apathy, especially among young people,” she said.

“This year, the suppression of freedom of expression and putting a pause on many youth programmes has highlighted more than ever, we need young people to speak up and reclaim the space as our own,” she added.

Bersih 2.0 will begin its campaign on social media and once the country enters Phase 4 of the national recovery plan, when it would hold roadshows around the country to educate voters on their rights and significance. – September 15, 2021.