Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(Aug 28): The Bersih 4 rally tomorrow will serve as a reality check for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who claims to have the support of most Malaysians, a local research group has said.

Iman Research said Najib had constantly relied on his assumed democratic legitimacy to carry out his will, and the size of the rally may challenge that.

It said the rally was the first large-scale effort to gather voices of dissent in response to recent developments such as the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, Najib's US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) donation, the Cabinet reshuffle and the worsening economy.

"Without the constant publication of presidential approval ratings like in the United States, Bersih 4 will unfortunately have to serve as one for a restless and seemingly rudderless nation.

"In other words, it will be a reality check for the prime minister who claims to have the support of the people and his party.

"Until now, democratic legitimacy is assumed to be the vanguard for Najib’s position and the drastic decisions taken by him to purge his opponents and dissidents from the government," said Iman Research in a statement.

It said the outcome of the rally would "tilt the sceptre of legitimacy" and decide the course of events in Malaysia for many months to come.

The scale of the rally would also help Najib's opponents prepare a motion of no confidence in Parliament, it said.

"The timing of the rally, which is approximately a month before the third parliamentary sitting of the year where the budget is tabled, also serves Najib’s opponents well.

"A parliamentary coup in the form of a 'no-confidence' vote has already been suggested by Najib’s most strident critic, the former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"In this context, the rally is not only a demonstration of no-confidence, but also a gauge of it by interested political actors."

Iman Research said the Bersih 4 rally's success hinged on not just the overall turnout, but the support it receives from the Malays and the youth.

It said the rally would prove whether electoral reforms group Bersih 2.0 can cut through class and ethnic lines, as PAS will not be mobilising its supporters this year.

The ability to attract Malay support in the absence of PAS will also be a direct indicator of the prospect of a coalition comprising DAP, PKR and Gerakan Harapan Baru, it added.

"However, the most ground-shifting development will be if (i) Malay youths who are not political party members provided a good turnout or (ii) Umno members and personalities threw their support behind the event.

"These are signals the establishment, even one with an authoritarian track record, can ill-afford to neglect."

The group said the rally could work in the government's favour if it was calm and non-eventful, or if it could be used as an excuse to declare emergency.

Bersih 4 needs to "up the bar" because public expectation had increased, and many may not be satisfied with a overnight rally without concrete outcome, it said.

"As the public becomes more demoralised and faith in the current electoral system wanes further, the current strategy of mammoth rallies will not be enough to sustain interest and support."

The Bersih 4 rally, which has been declared illegal by the police, is taking place this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu as well as major cities around the world.

The rally is pressing for institutional reform, the freedom to protest, measures to save the economy and a clean government and political system. – The Malaysian Insider

 

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