THE EXISTENCE OFBERSIH MOVEMENT

AS CIVIL SOCIETY IN MALAYSIA(Case Study: General Election 2013)

Arranged by “The State-Building Team”

Dyah Intan 11/317922/SP/24805

Ratna Anggareni 11/319894/SP/24920

Shofi Fatihatun Sholihah 12/328748/SP/25123

Jelita Sari Wiedoko 12/328698/SP/25704

What is Bersih Movement?

O An ad hoc and informal movement to fight

for electoral reforms

O A civil society effort included

activists, blogger, politicians, etc

Main Goals/Roles of BersihMovement

O Reforms the process of General Election

in Malaysia

O These movements firstly is independent

and try to make sure that there is no

deceitfulness happened in GE

O Bersih 1.0 is not entirely an opposition

effort, they do the „watchdog‟ in the name

of democratization and to build people

awareness towards GE

The Twist

Correlation With Democracy Concept

O Bersih Movement as the realm between private

and public; bridge of private interest to the general.

Bersih movement have a desire to make a fair

election in Malaysia. But, in it process the aim of

their willing has changed. Anwar Ibrahim as a

leader of opposition join the Bersih Movement and

pursue his aim in Bersih Movement.

O Bersih Movement strongly opposed to regime

change because the government in this period are

authoritarian and have a lot of corruption.

The Facts on Malaysia’s General Election 2013

O Voters choose 222 representatives for the lower house of parliament in a first-past-the-post system; a government can be formed with at least 112 seats. Voters also select 505 representatives for 12 state assemblies.

O The Barisan Nasional (National Front) ruling coalition has governed Malaysia since independence and is one of the world's longest-serving governments. But the rising PakatanRakyat (People's Pact) opposition alliance has tapped into UMNO fatigue with promises to end authoritarianism and corruption.

O Voters who called the ghost pengundi increase the chance of winning is called the governing coalition.

O Problem in government „permanent ink‟ as mark after election. Actually the ink is temporary and it can led to unfair election.

Bersih Movement and The GE 2013

The movement had a tremendous impact on

the political establishment by encouraging

active political participation by

Malaysians, which transcended the usual

ethnic and class divide. Pakatan Rakyat

has benefited the most from the

expression of dissent that Bersih

catalysed.

Bersih Movement at present

O Bersih has positively influenced the attitude of Malaysians towards elections regardless of their political inclination.

O The Role of social media took place simultaneously the movement.

O This further demonstrates that Malaysians are no longer political bystanders; rather, they now feel that they have more power to influence Malaysia‟s directions.

O Bersih helped trigger the people‟s engagement in politics.

O Global Bersih demands that Malaysians living abroad have the right to vote in the 13th general election. At present, only full-time students, members of the Malaysian civil service and military personnel are allowed to send their vote through the postal voting system.

O Global Bersih also strongly supports the need for international observers before, during and after GE13 – international observers are critical to ensure Malaysian elections are free of dirty politics and corruption, and to provide an opportunity for independent review of the electoral system in Malaysia.

Analysis – Influence to Malaysia’s Democracy

O Malaysia‟s Bersih Movement as a civil society

influence General Election Process in Malaysia.

O This Bersih movement show us that there‟s a

political participation of the societies in state-

building process and democratization of

Malaysia by pushing the govt to organize the

cleaner GE.

O But here is a role change of civil society as a

watchdog and pressure grup become civil

society as a group who couldn‟t approve the

result of the election.

Analysis Cont’d ....1

O There is a tendency of Anwar‟s willingness to

launch the replacement of the government that

leads by Najib Razak through several protests

and tribunal processes but it tends to be weak.

O It didn‟t bridge the private and public interest to

the general will anymore but tends to be an interst

articulation of opposition party coalition

O It was a form of an extreme multifunctional of the

political structure in Malaysia

Analysis Cont’d ... 2

O Conflict of interest exist due to opposition of political

parties harness Gerakan Bersih to articulate their

interest towards the government.

O So there‟s a main goal of the movement (push gov‟t

to organize a clean GE) and inserted goal behind

the movement.

Conclusion

O In relation to state building, Bersih

Movement as civil society has a role in

shaping a more democratic Malaysian

government and gaining political

participation

O But its main goal was deflected because

of the existence of opposition in its

organization.