Meeting with the AIPA

t On my left is Mr Hartmurt Nassauer (the member of the European Parliament and the Chairman of the Delegation for Relations with The Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Second from left is H.E. Thierry Rommel; Ambassador, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Malaysia



Today, 23^rd August 2007,my colleagues and I from BERSIH (Clean and Fair Elections) were given opportunity to meet and present the situation in the Malaysian elections.

Yesterday, we were welcome by SUHAKAM (Human Rights Commisions) at their office to discuss their programme in celebrating Human Rights Day on 9^th September with an interesting theme, “Human Rights and Elections.”

The morning meeting was a bit unstable for me with all the cramping in the train leading to Ampang Park.

The presentation was quite short as we only focus on the major undemocratic way that is happening in Malaysia with regards to elections.

The meeting was only between us and the European Union's Delegation with The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (AIPA).

2^nd Wave - Democratization

1957

• Malaya independence

• Colonies: Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, East Timor

• Democracies: Malaya, the Philippines

• Electoral/Closed Authoritarianism: the rest of Southeast Asia

1963

• Malaysia = Malaya + Singapore + Sabah + Sarawak

1965

• Malaysia-Singapore separation

1969-1971

• Suspension of Parliamentary Democracy in Malaysia following the 1969 ethnic riots

1970s (The dark age of authoritarianism in Southeast Asia)

• The Philippines under marshal law (1973)

• Democratization suppressed in Thailand (1976)

3^rd Wave – Democratization

• 1987 People Power in the Philippines

• 1992 Overthrow of military junta in Thailand

• 1993 Multi-party elections in Cambodia

• 1998 Democratization in Indonesia

• 1999 Independence for East Timor

What about Malaysia? What we can proud at this moment is we are better than Burma.

The draconian laws:

Police Act 1967, Seditious Act 1948, Printing Press and Publication Act 1984 (Act 301), Secrecy Act 1972 (Act 88), Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), Internal Security Act, Societies Act etc.

The list went on and the mat sallehs mouths were wide open.

They were given our Sham Democracy booklet where all the evidence during previous General Elections presented. Also our written report during the By-Election at Machap and Ijok.

Anonymous merepek ... permalink ... 8/23/2007 12:12:00 am ...