Mandeep Singh

Two Bersih leaders, PKR MP freed from 2015 #KitaLawan rally charge

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: The Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — The Magistrate’s Court discharged today polls reform group Bersih 2.0 chief Maria Chin Abdullah and two others from an 2015 criminal case over a #KitaLawan rally, but issued an arrest warrant for the fourth person charged.

Lawyer Vince Tan, who represented Bersih 2.0 secretariat manager Mandeep Singh — one of the three people freed — said today was initially set for trial for the two-year-old case.

Tan said the defence team for the accused were ready for the trial, but the original deputy public prosecutor’s absence led to the discharge of three of the four accused present in court — Maria, Mandeep and PKR’s Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin.

Another deputy public prosecutor had attended court proceedings today for a mention of the case on behalf of the initial deputy public prosecutor, he said.

“The court gave discharge not amounting to acquittal to all accused because the prosecution was not there. So the magistrate decided the matter, three of the accused given discharge not amounting to acquittal,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted. Read more →

Death threat probe on Bersih chief submitted to AGC

Nur Farzana Md Yusof

Source: FMT News 

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have completed their probe into the death threats against Bersih 2.0 chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah and her sons, Bersih committee member Mandeep Singh and Malaysian Human Rights Society chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan.

“The investigation paper was submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers on April 12, 2017,” the home ministry said in a written reply at the Dewan Rakyat today.

The ministry added that the government was awaiting a report on the issue from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

The ministry was replying to Ramkarpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor), who asked about the status of the police reports made by Maria, Ambiga and Mandeep regarding the death threats they received. Read more →

Cops raid Bersih’s office before Bersih 5 rally

admin

Source: The Malay Mail Online

Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Mandeep Singh tweeted that the polls reform group’s office in Petaling Jaya was being raided by the police. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Mandeep Singh tweeted that the polls reform group’s office in Petaling Jaya was being raided by the police. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 ― Police raided today Bersih 2.0’s office ahead of the Bersih 5 street protest tomorrow, purportedly under a law prohibiting acts undermining parliamentary democracy.

Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Mandeep Singh tweeted that the polls reform group’s office in Petaling Jaya was being raided and the police purportedly wanted to confiscate all of the group’s belongings.

“Bukit Aman in our office. Want to ‘rampas’ (confiscate) all our ‘barang’ (things),” the tweet on @mandeepkarpal read. Read more →

Maria and sons receive 2nd death threat

admin

Source: FMT News

PETALING JAYA: A second death threat was issued to Maria Chin Abdullah and her three sons via a WhatsApp message , this time featuring images of heads decapitated by Islamist State terrorists.

Apart from the quartet, similar threats were sent to Bersih 2.0 Committee Member Mandeep Singh and Human Rights Society Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan.

In a statement, the electoral reform group said it was “horrific” that one would stoop so low to attack human rights activists.

“It was probably done by people who do not want us to continue with our Bersih 5 rally and convoy,” it said, alluding to the Nov 19 gathering and the convoy held nationwide. Read more →

Malaysian Protest Rally to Go Ahead Despite Threats

admin

Source: VOANews

FILE - People sell umbrellas to supporters of pro-democracy group "Bersih" (Clean) near Dataran Merdeka in Malaysia's capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 30, 2015

FILE – People sell umbrellas to supporters of pro-democracy group “Bersih” (Clean) near Dataran Merdeka in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Aug. 30, 2015

BANGKOK — A leading Malaysian campaign for political and electoral reform is pressing ahead with a major rally this month despite pressure from the government and threats and violence against rally supporters.

Maria Chin, chairperson of the Bersih 2.0, a coalition calling for for free and fair elections in Malaysia, says the campaign has included a nationwide convoy launched on October 1 to promote the rally and calls for reform ahead of November 19.

But several violent incidents have marred the Bersih convoy with attacks and scuffles on supporters by so-called pro-Malay “red shirts.”

Violent incidents

Maria Chin along with Ambiga Sreenevasan, president of the National Human Rights Society and Mandeep Singh, a staff member of Bersih, all received death threats in October. Read more →

URGENT ACTION — Death threats AGAINST BERSIH ORGANIZERS

Coordinator

Death threats AGAINST BERSIH ORGANIZERS

downloadDeath threats are the latest form of harassment levelled against the Chairperson of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) and other organizers, activists and supporters of the Bersih 5 rally, planned for 19 November, calling for electoral reform.

On 18 October, the Chairperson of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) Maria Chin Abdullah and her immediate family members; Bersih 2.0 Secretariat Manager, Mandeep Singh; and former chairperson, Ambiga Sreenevasan, received death threats via disturbing images in a WhatsApp message. Maria Chin Abdullah has previously faced threats for organizing the Bersih 5 rally. Following the rally’s announcement, she was reportedly subjected to a serious threat on her life which is now the subject of a police investigation.

Bersih 2.0 are organizing the Bersih 5 rally, planned for 19 November, calling for electoral reform. A Bersih convoy has been held around the country every weekend since 1 October and is planned to continue until the demonstration on 19 November. There have been a number of attacks by ‘anti-Bersih’ groups against the convoy as well as against three journalists covering the convoy. Those involved have lodged police reports for criminal intimidation and battery. There has been a pattern of arrests and excessive use of force by police against activists involved in the series of Bersih rallies held since 2007 as well as intimidation and threats by non-state actors. Perpetrators have rarely been held to account. Read more →