Najib challenged the opposition to fight Barisan in a general election instead of holding street demonstrations which would only cause problems.
“If you have guts, then fight us during the election and not this way (by holding demonstrations). Only those with no guts will hold demonstrations,' he said.
But according to Wong Chin Huat, PM could have given Bersih two hours of unfettered march, beyond which the police could start taking action...
"The federal government is living in its own imagined nightmare. They suspect the Bersih 2.0 demonstration will turn out to be the Malaysian version of the Jasmine Revolution. Perhaps subconsciously they compare themselves with the illegitimate and corrupt rule of Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali or Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.
However, as much as Bersih has criticised the flaws of the electoral process, it has committed itself to recognising the basic legitimacy of elected governments. Even for Sarawak, where the election was severely manipulated, Bersih has not called for the ousting of Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud via lasting demonstrations.
My advice to the government is to stop shooting at shadows. The more you react like Ben Ali or Mubarak, the more you become one.
Addressing the fear of chaos is simple. The authorities should sit down with Bersih to negotiate the entry and exit time. Bersih has asked for two hours. If the assembly takes much longer than that, then they can spray water cannons and tear gas, as they have done in the past. They would then have public support to do so. Bersih will lose credibility. Good deal, isn’t it?"
More where that came from:
Uncommon sense with Wong Chin Huat: Bersih 2.0 - Why walk?
More on why Bersih should march:
Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the Case for BERSIH’s March
Written by Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the Case for BERSIH’s March
Written by Dr Lim Teck Ghee
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