THE Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) will hold elections for new leadership for the term 2023-2025. 

The polls will be held online on November 7-9. Results will be announced the same day.

In a statement, Bersih said elections were called because it was believed that the organisation had lost touch with its members and the people.

“We don’t fault anyone for this. Bersih’s current focus appears to be advocacy, research and Election Commission and parliamentary lobbying. In and of itself, that’s not a problem but everyone knows Bersih is much, much more a people’s movement,” it said.

“Bersih is not done with reforms. We can be that loud voice of change to the unity government.”

It said internal polls would allow for the election of “people who will re-balance Bersih’s forward strategies and actions”.

Nine positions are open; they are chair, deputy chair, Sarawak vice-chair, Sabah vice-chair, peninsula vice-chair, treasurer and three committee members. 

Four of the six top offices have been filled uncontested. 

Thomas Fann will continue to lead Bersih as the chairman. Senior lecturer Azmil Mohd Tayeb is the peninsula vice-chair, Ann Teo the Sarawak vice-chair and Fiqah Roslan Sabah vice-chair.

Ngeow Chow Ying (nominated by ENGAGE) and Wong Yan Ke (Suaram) are in a straight fight for deputy chair.

For the Treasurer post, Tan Hui Chun (ENGAGE) will run against Sadina Suffian (EMPOWER).

Seven nominees are vying for three committee seats. They are Hasbullah Ashari (Ikram), Aira Nur Ariana Azhari (ENGAGE), Benedict Weerasena (ENGAGE); Alex Johnson (EMPOWER), Haridas S. Krishnan Nair (Aliran) and Beverly Joeman (Pacos Trust).

Bersih was formed in July 2005 to press for electoral reform. It comprises civil society organisations and political parties which have the shared objective of clean and fair elections.

The public demonstrations of November 2007, which saw thousands of Malaysians take to the streets to rally for clean and fair elections, was a critical juncture in the nation’s electoral journey. – November 3, 2023.