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Bersih names 3 locals, 3foreigners as People's
Tribunal membersFirst Published:12:22pm, Jul 25, 2013Last Updated:2:12pm, Jul 25, 2013
Nation
by Kristina Mariswamy
From left: Organising committee members Meera Samanther an Ivy Josiah,
Gurdial, Bersih co-chair Ambiga, Irene Fernandez, Jerald Joseph andorganising committee member Andrew Khoo.
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http://www.fz.com/sections/nationhttp://www.fz.com/source/kristina-mariswamyhttp://www.fz.com/printmail/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-membershttp://www.fz.com/print/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-membershttp://www.fz.com/sections/nationhttp://www.fz.com/source/kristina-mariswamy7/27/2019 Bersih unveils global line-up for Peoples Tribunal
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KUALA LUMPUR (July 25): The six members, three locals and three from
overseas, of the Bersih People's Tribunal were named today by the
organising committee for the People's Tribunal.
Stating that members of the tribunal were picked through a process,
Bersih steering committee co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan
highlighted that all individuals were "people that shared a strong
commitment to the rule of law".
The People's Tribunal, comprised those with diverse backgrounds who
according to Ambiga will be able to make independent decisions, was
established to ascertain whether the 13th general election was conducted
in a free and fair manner.
Chairing the tribunal is Yash Pal Ghai,a reputable expert in constitutional
law, who has extensive experience including being the former head of the
constitution advisory support unit of the UN Development Programme in
Nepal, former special representative of the UN Secretary-General in
Cambodia on human rights and former chairperson of the Kenya
Constitution Review Commission and Kenya National Constitutional
Conference.
Other international members are former deputy chairman of the
Indonesian Election Commission Ramlan Surbakti and president of the
Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, former senator and deputy
leader of the Democrat Party Thailand Kraisak Choonhavan.
Malaysian members include Datuk Azzat Kamaludin, a well-known lawyer
and former administrative and diplomatic officer with the Ministry of
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Foreign Affairs Malaysia, Dr Mavis Puthucheary, co-editor of the book
Elections and Democracy in Malaysia, and former associate professor from
the Faculty of Economics and Administration Universiti Malaya, and
Reverend Dr Herman Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches
of Malaysia.
Assisted by a team of 30 lawyers, Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar, Professor
of Law at the Law Faculty of the University of Malaya, will lead the legal
team to present evidence on behalf of the people.
Speaking to reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly
Hall, Gurdial stated that they expected "a team of 10 to 12 witnesses and
two to three experts".
The tribunal will take the form of a commission of inquiry led by a legal
team who will present evidence and arguments to the tribunal.
The tribunal is tasked to study, investigate, review and report on:
1. The complaints received or disclosed on events leading up to and
surrounding the 13th general election;
2. The electoral process which took place in respect of the 13th general
election;
3. The effect of the findings from (1) and (2) have had on the 13th general
election, particularly in the free and fair criteria (free access to the media,
money politics, adherence to local elections laws);
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4. Any matters related or incidental to the above, including the effect on
voters rights generally and the rights of minority communities.
"The tribunal is essentially a citizens efforts and a peoples platform to
investigate and scrutinise the conduct of the last general election, said
Irene Fernandez, a member of the organising committee.
"It will be a tribunal of conscience, mandated with a moral force by the
people to arrive at the truth," added the executive director of Tenaganita,
an NGO which promotes the rights of migrant workers and other
oppressed and poor people in Malaysia..
Members of the public are also encouraged give statements or evidence
relating to claims of electoral fraud and irregularities during the May 5
polls via email to the people's tribunal secretariat
[email protected] Aug 16.
The People's Tribunal, which will take place from Sept 18-22, is fully
funded by the Malaysian public.
Read more:http://www.fz.com/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-members#ixzz2a2GaqU54
Bersih Peoples Tribunal to sit for
five days in SeptemberBY V. ANBALAGAN
JULY 25, 2013LATEST UPDATE: JULY 25, 2013 11:34 PM
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mailto:[email protected]?subject=Claims%20of%20electioral%20fraud%2C%20irregularities%20during%20GE13http://www.fz.com/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-members#ixzz2a2GaqU54http://www.fz.com/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-members#ixzz2a2GaqU54mailto:[email protected]?subject=Claims%20of%20electioral%20fraud%2C%20irregularities%20during%20GE13http://www.fz.com/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-members#ixzz2a2GaqU54http://www.fz.com/content/bersih-names-3-local-3-foreigners-peoples-tribunal-members#ixzz2a2GaqU547/27/2019 Bersih unveils global line-up for Peoples Tribunal
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The Bersih Peoples Tribunal on GE13, a tribunal mooted in response to the public
outcry and concerns of electoral fraud and irregularities in Malaysias 13th General
Election, is set to hear complaints for five days in September.
Six renowned individuals, three from overseas and three from Malaysia, will form the
tribunal to preside over the enquiry proceedings in Kuala Lumpur from September
18-22.
It will be chaired by Yash Pal Ghai, an expert in constitutional law and Head of the
Constitution Advisory Support Unit of the UN Development Programme in Nepal,
former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cambodia on human
rights and former Chairperson of the Kenya Constitution Review Commission and
Kenya National Constitutional Conference.
Other international panel members include Ramlan Surbakti (former deputychairman of the Indonesian Election Commission) and Kraisak Choonhavan
(president of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, a former Senator and
deputy leader of the Democrat Party of Thailand).
The Malaysians on the tribunal are lawyer Datuk Azzat Kamaludin (former
administrative and diplomatic officer with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia), Dr
Mavis Puthucheary (former associate professor from the Faculty of Economics and
Administration, University of Malaya) and Rev Dr. Hermen Shastri (general secretary
of the Council of Churches of Malaysia).
People's Tribunal Secretariat member Irene Fernandez told a news conference
today the tribunal is one of the most significant milestones in the people's` struggle
for a free and fair election.
She urged the public to come forward to provide evidence on electoral fraud and
irregularities before August 16.
"We are also in the process of collecting evidence all over the country," she said,
adding that the legal team will be led by Professor Gurdial Singh Professor of Law at
the Law Faculty of the University of Malaya and Director of the Centre of Excellence
for Biodiversity Law. Gurdial was also the Chief Prosecutor of the international Kuala
Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal.
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Renowned civil rights activist and Bersih 2 co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had
said that the tribunal may not have any legal standing but will serve as a moral
force to publicly expose electoral fraud.
Meanwhile Ambiga, who was present at the press conference today, voiced her
concern over judges ordering parties who lost their election petition pay exorbitant
costs.
"This is discouraging people to come to court and have access to justice," she said.
Ambiga said election petitions were public interest cases and felt parties should be
left to bear their own costs.
She said the court had the discretion to award costs but a high amount is tantamount
to a punishment.
On Wednesday, Judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof ordered PAS candidate Ahmad Zamri
Asa'ad Khuzaimi who challenged the outcome for the Titiwangsa parliamentary seat
was ordered to pay RM40,000 to the Election Commission and RM30,000 to Johari
Abdul Ghani, the Barisan Nasional candidate who won. - July 25, 2013.
Bersih Peoples Tribunal now
open to receiving pollscomplaintsBY JENNIFER GOMEZ
JULY 19, 2013LATEST UPDATE: JULY 20, 2013 01:44 AM
The Bersih Peoples Tribunal is calling for citizens to povide evidence on electoral
fraud and irregularities during GE13 by submitting a brief summary to the secretariat
before August 16, 2013.
The tribunal, mooted in response to the public outcry and concerns of electoral fraud,
was established to ascertain whether the last election was conducted in a free and
fair manner.,
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Renowned civil rights activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan had said that the tribunal
may not have any legal standing but will serve as a moral force to publicly expose
electoral fraud.
In a statement today, the tribunal urged the public to submit a brief summary if they
were victims of electoral fraud of irregularities which include:
* not being able to vote although registered
* prevented from voting
* offered monetary incentive (bribe) or gifts to vote for a particular party.
* not registered, but name and address on the electoral rolls.
* If threatened or told that you will be denied benefits.
Members of the public who want to give statements or provide evidence can send
their email to [email protected]. - July 19, 2013
THE BERSIH TRIBUNAL - INVESTIGATING THE GREATEST CRIME
AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF MALAYSIA!
KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 Electoral watchdog Bersih today announcedformer United Nations Special Representative Yash Pal Ghai as the
head of its six-member Peoples Tribunal to investigate claims ofelectoral fraud during Election 2013.
The tribunal was set up the group following widespread allegations offraud and irregularities during the May 5 general election and begansoliciting testimony from the public last week.
Irene said Six renowned individuals, three from overseas and threefrom Malaysia, will form the members of the tribunal to preside overthe enquiry proceedings and deliver their findings.Irene said Sixrenowned individuals, three from overseas and three from Malaysia,
will form the members of the tribunal to preside over the enquiryproceedings and deliver their findings.Six renowned individuals, threefrom overseas and three from Malaysia, will form the members of thetribunal to preside over the enquiry proceedings and deliver theirfindings, Bersih organising committee member Irene Fernandez saidat a press conference.
Aside from constitutional lawyer Ghai from Kenya, the tribunal includes
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former Indonesian Election Commission deputy chairman RamlanSurbakti and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC)president Kraisak Choonhavan.
The Malaysian members are prominent lawyer Datuk Azzat Kamaludin,
University of Malaya associate senior fellow Mavis Puthucheary andRev Dr Hermen Shastri, the general secretary of the Council ofChurches of Malaysia (CCM).
Members of the tribunal consist of eminent and respected individualsboth from overseas and from Malaysia who all share a strongcommitment to human rights and the rule of law, Bersih co-chairmanDatuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said after the six were introduced.
The tribunal was originally announced as a five-member panel, butBersih organising committee member Ivy Josiah told The Malay Mail
Online there were now six was because they wanted greater diversityon-board, adding that more may be added in the future.
Hearings for the tribunal will be conducted across five days, startingSeptember 18.
The presentation of the evidence will be done by a legal team of 30lawyers led Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar, University of Malayas lawprofessor and chief prosecutor of the international Kuala Lumpur WarCrimes Tribunal.
We are addressing the whole general election in a holistic mannerwhich will include the system, the institution, the weaknesses in thelaw as well as the violations of the rights of voters, Fernandez said.
The panel noted that they are still gathering evidence from voters overincidents of alleged fraud during the May 5 polls.
Although it has no legal powers or authority, Ambiga previouslyexplained that the tribunal will act as a moral force to shed light on thealleged fraud during Election 2013.
The Election Commission (EC), among others, has criticised it as havingno basis under Malaysian law.
During the May 5 general election, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN)managed to retain power despite polling fewer votes than the informalPakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact.
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Bersih invites EC to tribunal hearingAnisah Shukry
| July 25, 2013
The six-member panel, which includes international figures, will probe allegationsof fraud in GE13.
KUALA LUMPUR: Election watchdog Bersih today invited the Election Commission to
take part in the proceedings of its Peoples Tribunal, which will investigate allegations of
fraud and other irregularities in the 13th general election.
We are hoping the EC will come and will participate and be a part of this process,
Bersih chief S Ambiga told a press conference here. We hope that, in the spirit of
improving the system, they will attend.
She announced that the tribunal will hear testimonies from Sept 18 to Sept 22 and that
the hearing will be open to the public.
Bersih has described the May 5 polls as the dirtiest elections ever and demanded the
resignation of EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and deputy chairman Wan Ahmad
Wan Omar resign, but Ambiga said today that the six-member tribunal would not be
influenced by the election watchdog or any other quarter.
Independence was the key criteria in the Peoples Tribunals organising committees
selection of panel members, she said. They will make up their mind based on the ruleof law and the evidence presented to them.
I can assure you nobody can influence this panel.
The tribunals objective is to determine whether the 13th general election was conducted
in a free and fair manner. Its chairman is constitutional law expert Yash Pal Ghai, former
Head of the Constitution Advisory Support Unit of the UN Development Programme in
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Nepal, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cambodia on
Human rights and former Chairperson of the Kenya Constitution Review Commission
and Kenya National Constitutional Conference.
It has two other members who are international figures: Ramlan Surbakti, a former
deputy chairman of the Indonesia Election Commission, and Kraisak Choonhavan,President of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus.
Its three other members, all Malaysian, are lawyer Azzat Kamaludin, academic and
author Mavis Puthucheary and Hermen Shastri, Secretary General of the Council of
Churches Malaysia.
Bersih official Ivy Josiah told reporters the organisers had yet to decide on a venue for
the hearing, but said it would be at a location within the Klang Valley.
We would like to invite all people who witnessed any irregularities or were themselves
victims of electoral fraud or are interested in testifying during the hearing to comeforward from now until Aug15, she said.
The tribunal intends to submit its final report to the Malaysian government, political
parties, the EC as well as international bodies such as the United Nations.
Ambiga said the Peoples Tribunal, like the 2011 Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal,
had no legal standing and was relying on moral authority alone to push for action should
it find irregularities in the conduct of the 13th general election.
This tribunal is a form of citizens advocacy, she said. I put my faith in the eminent
members of the panel. Although there is no legal obligation for the government to heedthe results, I expect a responsible government to respond to these international experts.
Bersih unveils global line-up for
Peoples TribunalBY LIYANA SHAZREEN
JULY 25, 2013UPDATED: JULY 25, 2013 04:08 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 Electoral watchdog Bersih today announced former United
Nations Special Representative Yash Pal Ghai as the head of its six-member Peoples
Tribunal to investigate claims of electoral fraud during Election 2013.
The tribunal was set up the group following widespread allegations of fraud and
irregularities during the May 5 general election and began soliciting testimony from the
public last week.
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Irene said Six renowned individuals, three from overseas and three from Malaysia, will
form the members of the tribunal to preside over the enquiry proceedings and deliver
their findings.Six renowned individuals, three from overseas and three from Malaysia,will form the members of the tribunal to preside over the enquiry proceedings and deliver
their findings, Bersih organising committee member Irene Fernandez said at a press
conference.
Aside from constitutional lawyer Ghai from Kenya, the tribunal includes former
Indonesian Election Commission deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti and ASEAN Inter-
Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) president Kraisak Choonhavan.
The Malaysian members are prominent lawyer Datuk Azzat Kamaludin, University of
Malaya associate senior fellow Mavis Puthucheary and Rev Dr Hermen Shastri, the
general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM).
Members of the tribunal consist of eminent and respected individuals both from
overseas and from Malaysia who all share a strong commitment to human rights and the
rule of law, Bersih co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said after the six were
introduced.
The tribunal was originally announced as a five-member panel, but Bersih organising
committee member Ivy Josiah told The Malay Mail Online there were now six was
because they wanted greater diversity on-board, adding that more may be added in the
future.
Hearings for the tribunal will be conducted across five days, starting September 18.
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The presentation of the evidence will be done by a legal team of 30 lawyers led
Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar, University of Malayas law professor and chief prosecutor
of the international Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal.
We are addressing the whole general election in a holistic manner which will include the
system, the institution, the weaknesses in the law as well as the violations of the rights of
voters, Fernandez said.
The panel noted that they are still gathering evidence from voters over incidents of
alleged fraud during the May 5 polls.
Although it has no legal powers or authority, Ambiga previously explained that the
tribunal will act as a moral force to shed light on the alleged fraud during Election 2013.
The Election Commission (EC), among others, has criticised it as having no basis under
Malaysian law.
During the May 5 general election, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) managed to retain
power despite polling fewer votes than the informal Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition
pact.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/bersih-unveils-global-line-up-for-peoples-tribunal#sthash.Jxvbw8QB.dpuf
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