MPF Press Release – Death Threats to BERSIH organisers

24^th June 2011

We the undersigned board members of MPF read with horror and disbelief   the open threats  to commit murder on proponents of BERSIH 2 March planned for 9 July 2011.

Rhetorics and posturing are part and parcel of an active democracy, but any threat of violence is malicious  and jeopardises the peaceful co-existence of all  in this beloved country of ours

Regardless of one’s feelings about the correctness or otherwise of the planned gathering on 9 July 2011, nobody other than the insane or racial supremacist will be in agreement with the obnoxious wave of highly coordinated text messages aimed at  Dato’ Ambiga and her like minded colleagues.

The inaction of the relevant authorities does not bode well for an otherwise peaceful and harmonious Malaysia. Failure to apprehend and charge the culprit with intent to murder will be dereliction of duty of the highest order.

The silence of the national leaders in the face of this racist and deplorable death threat is  also cause for concern. All Malaysians who love this country must unequivocally condemn this dastardly and cowardly act of extreme provocation.

The royal houses whose existence depends on continued peace in Malaysia must also be in unison in unreservedly condemning this vicious threat to the very fabric of  our pluralistic society.

We, members of civil society have had enough of the escalating threats by individuals and groups who have increasingly upped the ante on pursuing their parochial and racist agenda. Unless genuine political will deals firmly with such racial supremacist provocations, the slogan 1Malaysia will paradoxically be long  remembered as an era of “heightened racial tension” and “intense religious conflict”.

Dr Mazeni Alwi
Dr Shaikh Johari Bux
Haji Mohamed Ali Ghazali
Dr Jeffrey Abu Hassan
Dato’ Dr  Musa Mohd. Nordin