January 17, 2012
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
Congrats Dato, you represent our Generation of Geezers
National laureate Datuk A. Samad Said will be named Bersih’s new co-chairman today in a move to add some weight to the electoral reform coalition’s fight for fair and clean elections.
Bersih chairman Datuk S. Ambiga told The Malaysian Insider that the coalition will make a formal announcement of the writer and poet’s appointment at a press conference today at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).
“Yes. I confirm that but we also have some other announcements,” she said when asked whether Samad’s appointment had been made official.
The 76-year old, best known for his novel “Salina”, declined to confirm the matter, but said that he was busy with “major plans” for Bersih. “I cannot say or confirm anything, but there will be an announcement, come and you will see,” he told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.
The white-haired and bearded literary icon drew nationwide attention after his poem “Unggun Bersih”, read at the launch of Bersih 2.0, earned him a trip to the police station for questioning.
He was also among the thousands of Malaysians who braved the streets of the city capital on July 9 to demand a fair and clean elections process.
Samad has already been named as Bersih co-chairman in recent press releases to the media.“Tomorrow’s press conference will be about me, but I am not aware of the details… I have also been asked to be there earlier, before the press conference begins,” he added.
The Malaysian Insider also understands Bersih will announce its new campaign later today as well as the response to the current performance of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) which was tasked last year with looking into electoral reform recommendations.
“We are announcing new campaign and our expectations of the PSC and reforms,” Ambiga told The Malaysian Insider.
Samad was named Pejuang Sastera after receiving the 1979 Southeast Asia Write Award, and received the title of national laureate in 1986.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Work hard. Dont let the thieves in UMNO steal peoples right to a an outcome based on a free and fair election. The top civil servants in the EC and other authorities have been coopted to make sure BN wins by legal or otherwise. Rise up to demand a free election.
Demanding for Change is for the BRAVE who dare to speak out, write and protest.
We must pay respect to SAMAD SAID for his firm stand for democracy.
Many laymen are cowed by government/police with threat of arrest and possible jail and beaten up.
If people are intimidated by such threats, then there will be Dictatorship & Tyranny will flourish.
The right to dissent is a basic democratic human right right of every citizen.
The laws are written by the rulers for the ruled who have no say at all in the write up of the Constitution.
The rulers write the laws to their advantages.
Laws are made to be broken.
Is asking for Free & Fair & Credible Election against the Constitution?
Unfair delineation, gerry mandering, buying votes, control of major media, threats etc are common in elections.
Political parties and religions are gangs & mafia if you read History.
They want power & money and will kill innocent people to achieve their dirty aims.
Look at Saddam & Gadafi & Bashar & Mubarak – they ordered the soldiers and police to shoot and kill.
Most tyrants instilled fear into the people like SADDAM when he first came into power by hanging his opponents & critics in a PUBLIC place for several days until the bodies got severed off and dropped to the ground.
Saddam got his own medicine when he was hanged for his crimes against humanity.
No matter how powerfula man is, one day he will fall.
National laureate Datuk A. Samad Said’s road to Damascus came quite late in his career. He suddenly saw the light and he saw reality when he found he had wool put into his eyes by the pariah UMNO Malay leadersw.
I guess it is still not too late for the man to engage and reach out to his fellowmen for the better good of the country.
Those in the medical professional should keep a check on the man and make sure he does not over work himself.
We need him around longer.
Is asking for Free & Fair & Credible Election against the Constitution?- robert
Siily question as everybody already know the answer.
It should be :Is asking for Free & Fair & Credible Election against UMNO?
robert,
one thing you need to get up to speed after your return from travels to Zimbabwe, Kenya and those great places you honed your skills to become a political analyst is that in Malaysia, UMNO is BIGGER and more powerful than the Federal Constitution.
Congratulations to Samad Ismail. This should help debunk the racial undertones used by UMNO to deride Bersih’s leadership. Bersih is Malaysian – period.
Also read S.Thayaparan’s ( ex Malaysian Navy Commodore – retired ) piece as published in Malaysiakini this morning. This piece is titled ” The Manufacturing of The Fear Culture “. It is not only and interesting piece but is also timely .
Vaclav Havel …. A. Samad Said
I think A. Samad Said’s beard, moustache and hair need some trimming. Just a little.
Or else we can’t see him talking on youtube.
Datuk, are you not going to be active in this kind of civil society? You were active in the first Bersih and to the extend of joining PKR during the last GE to bring down the sleepy head PM . That lasted for a short time, may be less than 2 years before you decided politics is not for you.
I think you are a good PM material and a good public intellectual which is not put into use to build this nation.
How I wish we can choose a PM who is not a politician like in Italy to resolve some acute issues in Malaysia . You definitely fit in.
Frank, it is never too late to change things. Pak Samad is doing his bit by standing up for free and fair elections. He lends credibility to Bersih. It is a good move on the part of Ambiga, Marina Chin and others to give him an important role in this NGO. –Din Merican
Yes Dato Din, things are moving in the RIGHT direction.
It is time to MalaySIANISE our struggles for a better country, instead of just MALAY-nise the country into the future which the pariah UMNO Malay leaders had been doing for the last 40 years especially under the Kutty Supremo.
It is good that more Malays especially, Chinese and Indians and our friends in Sarawak and Sabah are realising now (although after 40 years) that either WE SWIM TOGETHER or WE DROWN TOGETHER in this country, whether it is a tsuanami, earthquake or some hydrogen bombs dropped on us by accident. There is no second option for us with our feet standing on the same piece of the real estate.
We got to get our act TOGETHER, help each other and enrich each other’s life together. Or else, WE all be going to HELL TOGETHER (while Mr Bean on the other end of the planet gets to live happily ever after with his 72 virigins).
The aims of BERSIH ought to have been on the manifesto of PR. BERSIH as a separate body is cumbersome and in my opinion impractical.
Does PR have a manifesto at all???
absolutely right frank, in this globalised, dog eat dog world we have to stick together to win.
after the last three decades it has become evident that malaysia is slipping down in all respects because of the malays-first policy. it is legitimate to give them priority and all manner of assisstance BUT it is wrong to pull down the others. its like setting the classroom standard based on the weakest students; the weaker students should be pulled up to match the stronger students, not the other way round. nobody is questioning the monarchy or the islam but asking for rational decisions.
” Or else, WE all be going to HELL TOGETHER (while Mr Bean on the other end of the planet gets to live happily ever after with his 72 virigins)” -frank.
with our tens of thousands of mosques, temples and churches we’ll definitely go to heaven.
with 1, one can have no peace and how could Mr. Bean live happily ever after with 72??
Congratulations to Pak Samad!
BTW Datuk, where can I download the Bersih 3.0 logo for my iPad, iPhone and for my Avatar?
————
I have no idea.
“The laws are written by the rulers for the ruled who have no say at all in the write up of the Constitution.” Robert
The country’s constitution was drafted after consultations with various associations, including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce etc and other trade associations, each representing their respective constituents. You may want to dispute the quality of the representation and come up with a theory e.g. if they were representatives of a good cross of society at the time. But to say that the people were not consulted at all would be a distortion of the truth.
A first year constitutional law history student would tell you that.
Or else, WE all be going to HELL TOGETHER (while Mr Bean on the other end of the planet gets to live happily ever after with his 72 virigins). — old frank
I’m having a fun time exploring the bars in the U.K. with Little Explorer Why?? You jealous arr ..???
“He suddenly saw the light …” old frank
Is that as in Miller Lite or light as in an epiphany??
there was nothing wrong with our constitution until our umno/bn came along with their 2/3 majority to screw it up.
Mr.Bean I’m green with envy. its time you visited the Reeperbahn, the pubs in London are quite a bore.
No point visiting Reeparbahn or London pubs.
We in Malaysia have pubs too… and it is SAFE now for folks like Mr Bean to have quart or two in our local pubs because PAS has just sacked Hasan Ali, the self appointed SAVIOUR OF ISLAM from all the infidels in the Klang Valley.
From the way I see, sometimes all we need is a miracle from the one above. Especially with everything stacked against you. Lets keep the faith
Frank,
Hey, come on laa……Bean suk in New York laaa……Nearer to visit pubs in the British Isle or the Continent. I have to agree that English pub is a bore as compared to Irish or German pub. Especially during the october fest, drinking beer there is more fun
Bean suk,
Don’t you think so!