5 Sarawakians released along over a thousand arrested

(from L) Doris Lawai, Matek, Niloh Ason and Bodui

Niloh Ason, Matek of SADIA, Bodui of Bengoh, Willie Kajan of Brimas and Doris Lawai of Ulu Baram, who were arrested earlier in the Bersih march were released along with 1000 over others sharing the same fate today. Other than Willie who was kept at Jinjang Utara police station the others were kept at Pulapol’s compound. They were arrested for wearing the Bersih t-shirt while they were gathering near May Bank tower. While Sarawakians has not held wide scale protest in their own homeland the participation by these Sarawakian community activists in the Bersih rally, among 14 who came for an exposure trip, shows that Sarawakians do not disown their basic rights to assembly and freedom of expression like all others in the world.

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Tenaganita condemn police for firing tear gas into hospital

Tung Shin hospital tear-gassed-prove!

9th July 2011

Malaysians Rise Up For Democracy despite Police Brutality

Tenaganita salutes the rakyat, who despite immense harassment and grave obstacles placed by the police and the Home Ministry, and the irrational lockdown of Kuala Lumpur, still came in tens of thousands to demand for fair, clean and free elections.

With tremendous pride & joy, we congratulate Malaysians for their stand on democracy. Malaysians today have shown that they are no longer afraid to assert their rights.

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14 arrests in Bersih Bintulu!(updated)

Without much news about it there were 55 arrests made in Bintulu in relation to the Bersih uprising. The group was led by Paul Raja who led the group to do a press conference at lunch time. Sarawak police had earlier identified Bintulu as one of the few locations where they expected Bersih action.

Update: later reports all quoted the lesser figure of 14 arrests-including new Assemblyman Ali Biju.

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4 Sarawakians arrested: Niloh Ason and Matek from SADIA, and Willie Kajan of Brimas, Doris Lawai from Miri!

Bersih marchers going strong under the rain!

News just come in that there are 2 SADIA’s members arrested: Niloh Ason and Matek. Another activist from Brimas, Miri Willie Kajan has also been arrested. So is Doris Lawai from Miri.There were taken near May Bank next to Puduraya. Legal aid of bar Council has been notified of the 4 arrests. Doris said that she and niloh was ambushed at the May Bank where police picked up people with Bersih t-shirt.

The rain is getting heavier though the marchers are still persisting under heavy rain, showing their resolve to fight for free and fair elections.

3.00pm-rain just stopped. About 500 persons have been arrested up to this point. Police’ siren emanating from a source in town. Marchers can still be heard roaring from the Jln Sultan junction.

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Bersih moves back to Bkt Bintang under tear gas, water cannon attacks!

Our friends from Bkt Bintang side reported that the marchers there marched towards Puduraya from Bkt Bintang. However attacks by tear gas, water cannon drove them back to Bkt Bintang now. The police appear from the other end-clearly trying to hem in the crowd.

Weather turn bad and drizzling is detected. This will dampen the march as well as the tear gas and water cannons.

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Sarawak DAP’s speak out on free and fair elections!

DECLARATION OF SARAWAK DAP LAW-MAKERS for clean free and fair elections
Declaration by 12 state assemblypeople

We believe that Malaysia must become a true democracy.

But the “first to pass the post” electoral system in the country has been tainted by and besmirched with electoral fraud and corruption in the form of rampant vote buying practiced by the Barisan Nasional. However, the Election Commission does not have enforcement and prosecutorial powers.

We believe in equal and not disproportionate representation.

But, we have clear imbalance in representation because of unfair constituency delineation, so that some state constituencies are 4 to 5 times bigger than others, and some Parliamentary constituencies are more than 10 times bigger than others. For example, in the Sarawak State Election, N.70 BaKelalan has 6958 voters compared to N.10 Pending which has 29,488 voters. The BN won 25 constituencies with voters less than 10,000 in each constituency. Compare this with 10 seats that were won by the DAP with voters exceeding 20,000 each. Because of disproportionate weightage in the votes, the BN secured 55% of the popular votes in the Sarawak State election but won 77.5% of the seats. At Parliamentary level, Putrajaya has 8840 voters, whereas Kapar has 122011 voters (13 times that of Putrajaya). In 2010 general election Pakatan Rakyat won all 5 constituencies which had more than 100,000 voters each. There are 8 constituencies with less than 20000 voters, all won by the BN. A distorted and unbalanced weightage means unfair representation.

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Bersih moves 3

Police’s preparation still inadequate in the face of popular people’s mobilisation:

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