PUTRAJAYA RESPONSIBLE FOR MALAYSIAN POLICE HANDLING OF BERSIH?

Malaysian Police Force in action during the BERSIH rally

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Malaysian former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad(left photo), in Astro Awani TV channel, interview aired recently, said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent approval rating decline was due to his administration’s handling of the Bersih rally.
He had agreed with the findings of Merdeka Center’s latest survey, which saw Najib’s approval rating slide to its lowest point of 59 per cent since last May’s high of 79 per cent.
He said that the government’s image was badly affected due to the strict measures taken by the authorities to maintain public order on July 9.

• The former prime minister pointed out that Putrajaya had acted wrongly by banning people from wearing yellow garments.
• A Merdeka Center survey had concluded that the rating drop was fueled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and Putrajaya’s handling of Bersih 2.0.
• Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have basked in the aftermath of the survey results, claiming it indicated a clear voter swing towards the federal opposition, while Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders have chosen to stay indignant, saying the poll may not be an accurate reflection of voter sentiment.
• The survey involved respondents aged 21 and above across the peninsula that was selected through a random stratified sampling along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and state of residency. Of the 1,027 polled, 59 per cent were Malays, 32 per cent Chinese and nine per cent Indians.

Earlier yesterday, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon(left photo) said the police’s handling of the July 9 Bersih rally was the cause of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent approval rating decline. The Gerakan party’s president agreed with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s view that the rally had affected the government’s image, but stressed that Putrajaya had never meant to “stifle” anyone’s freedom of speech or right to express themselves.
Koh, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said measures taken by the police during the rally had given the public the “impression” that the government was “too restrictive”, and that this was not true.

Source: The Malaysian Insider