2016 ANNUAL REPORT
Contents 1. Content page
I. Introduction
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II. Steering Committee Message
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III. Patron’s Message
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IV. Highlights
• Governance
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• Secretariat
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V. Highlights : Advocacy and Outreach
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• Proposal to Reform the Overseas Voting Process
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• Bersih 5 and Bebas Maria
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VI. Financial Summary
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VII. Fundraising
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VIII. Glossary
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IX. Contact Information
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The Bersih artwork is from an artist who documented the Bersih4 rally in KL, and the work can be purchased from www.gerakbudaya.com
Introduction WHO WE ARE
OUR OBJECTIVES
Global Bersih is an international movement by overseas Malaysians, based in Geneva, to support Malaysian civil society’s work and strengthen Malaysia’s maturing democracy, using peaceful and legal means of action. It is a proud to be part of the vibrant Swiss civil society as it enables a stronger international platform to advocate for change, taking advantage of the dynamic international human rights movement in Geneva.
The full and effective fulfilment of Malaysia’s right to a free and fair elections, which includes: 1. due reform of electoral processes and procedures 2. ensuring transparency of all levels of the electoral processes 3. enhancing participation of international observers and media to monitor the polls 4. eradication of corruption and the culture of impunity, as well as 5. strengthening of public institutions and civil processes.
OUR VISION We envision a democratic and just Malaysian society in which the rights and dignity of all persons are respected, protected and upheld in law, and in practice.
OUR MISSION Our mission is to encourage and empower Malaysians abroad in exercising their right to bring about positive transformation in the country.
An independent and competent Election Commission of Malaysia, especially in monitoring and addressing electoral discrepancies. The advancement of human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Malaysia.
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE OUR OBJECTIVES •
We provide a global platform for the voices and stories of ordinary Malaysians and civil society, to reach out to the international community in particular, international human rights bodies, diplomatic missions, foreign media and civil society
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We build on and enrich local and international discourses of Malaysian issues, to feed into national efforts related to electoral reform.
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We galvanise support and increase commitment from Malaysians across the globe towards creating a stronger international momentum for electoral and democratic reform in Malaysia.
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We carry out training and capacity building to encourage overseas Malaysians to organise and participate in civil society and electoral processes.
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Steering Committee Message Dear Fellow Bersih Supporters, It gives the Global Bersih Steering Committee great pleasure to issue the 2016 Annual Report. It has been 3 years since Global Bersih (GB) was set up as a Swiss NGO in Geneva and we are happy to say that we have made good progress. During 2016, the GB structure has evolved into a functioning international organization with links to different city chapters. We are also recognized internationally for our advocacy work in Geneva, London and other major cities and locally in Malaysia for coordinating overseas Malaysians to participate in the Bersih rallies, in support of Bersih 2.0s demands and other electoral reform campaigns. While we have made much progress as an NGO, the goal of achieving Free and Fair elections is still a long way away. The threats facing ordinary citizens campaigning for it reached its peak with the arrest of Maria Chin, Bersih’s Chairperson and her 10 days in solitary confinement. While many roadblocks are erected by the authorities to restrict dissent and to block citizens from exercising their rights as enshrined in the constitution, the people will not be deterred and the struggle will continue. Global Bersih’s vision is to campaign for a democratic and just Malaysian society that ensures the respect of all its citizens. Our mission is to encourage and empower overseas Malaysians their right to bring about CHANGE in the country. Global Bersih can only achieve its vision and mission with the support of all the overseas Malaysians residing in the many cities across the world. We thank you all for the support during 2016 and we look forward to your continued support in 2017. Global Bersih Steering Committee Geneva, Switzerland  
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Patron’s Message Dear fellow Malaysians, Salam Bersih! Free and fair elections continue to elude us in Malaysia. Nearly four years after GE13, our goal of free and fair elections remains an illusion. The proposed re-delineation exercise gives us little comfort as experts have shown that in many areas, the degree of malapportionment and gerrymandering is unconscionable. It is clear that the fight for free and fair elections is far from over. We saw with pride as Malaysians all over the world stood in solidarity with Bersih 5. Again I was touched by the passion of overseas Malaysians as they braved the cold in many countries to hold candlelight vigils in support of Maria Chin who was detained under the oppressive Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 [SOSMA]. These acts of solidarity mean a lot to us in Malaysia as it shows that we are not alone in our struggle for a more peaceful and just Malaysia. Global Bersih has been and is, one of the greatest outcomes of the Bersih 2.0 movement. It has been championing Bersih 2.0’s cause at the international level. Global Bersih has played a significant role in providing a platform for Malaysians overseas to transform their passion for the nation into action. It has reached out to Malaysians all over the world with overwhelming results. Global Bersih which started in 2009, has now developed into an NGO recognised internationally through their various advocacy activities and by developing cooperation with other international NGOs. This form of work is vital in supporting our movement for free and fair elections. Global Bersih’s proposal for Overseas Voting Reform is an active and proactive move to ensuring that the rights of overseas voters are indeed protected. I congratulate Global Bersih for the work that they do and thank the supporters, the city coordinators and the Steering Committee, for their support, encouragement and contribution to the Global Bersih mission. We have come so far. Let us continue our work in the run-up to the 14th GE to realise our dream of bringing change and reform in Malaysia. Terima kasih, Ambiga Sreenevasan Patron of Global Bersih
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Governance Highlights Global Bersih 2015 Executive Committee The Steering Committee 2016 members were, of the elected Executive: President Colin Rajah, Secretary Bala Chelliah and Treasurer Lydia Chai; and the ordinary members, consisting of Yolanda Augustine, Ivy Josiah, Lim Chong Pin, Charis Quay, Kean Wong and Kevin Bathman. Patrons Former Malaysian Bar Council President, Ambiga Sreenevasan continues to support our organisation as our patron. Meetings The Global Bersih Steering Committee holds regular meetings to collectively direct the priorities and focus of the activities to empower Malaysians by lobbying for change through research, advocacy and dialogue with stakeholders, i.e. international organisations and engagement with political parties. During these meetings, the Committee will assess progress and plan out relevant activities. The Executives will prepare an agenda with input from the Steering Committee, and decisions are made by the Steering Committee by way of a simple majority. The Bersih Connection Global Bersih started out as individual movements of solidarity with Bersih 2.0 in countries across the globe. Most of our work is based on our mission to bring about positive transformation, with emphasis on the issue of clean, ethical and transparent electoral policies and processes. Swiss Civil Code As part of the Swiss Civil Society, Global Bersih ensures relevant records which are available for inspection and the publication of an annual report highlighting the work we do.
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Highlights | Secretariat 1 2 3 4 5
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Reached out, engaged with, and supported many City Coordinators, resulting in higher awareness and increased Global Bersih Cities’ activities. Recruited an administrative coordinator based locally Organised and coordinated Global Bersih Committee Meetings Coordinated and managed the global mobilisation of Bersih supporters for the Bersih 5 rally (19 November 2016). Carried out pro-active communication on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter
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Produced a proposal for the overseas voting process and is currently lobbying the Election’s Commission, as well as garnering support from political parties Updating and maintaining important news and information on the website, www.globalbersih.org Publication of a monthly newsletter, which is available on the website: globalbersih.org Reached out and engaged with stakeholders such as politicians, NGO’s and human rights defenders traveling to Global Bersih cities such as Zunar on his book tour.
Global Bersih 5, Sydney
Highlights | Advocacy and Outreach Advocacy: This refers to the way that Global Bersih supports and enables overseas Malaysians, primarily through issue-based dialogue, projects and campaigns, through the engagement with various stakeholders. Outreach: This term refers to the reach and quality of Global Bersih’s engagement with overseas Malaysians and is reflected through awareness talks/workshops, fundraising projects, communication on our website and social media, as well as the growth of volunteers and supporters. Global Bersih actively conducts advocacy and outreach events and projects across our many chapters in efforts to sow ‘seeds’ of change. In the case of Global Bersih, stakeholders are people with an interest or concern in supporting Global Bersih’s vision and mission, and this includes the government, politicians, the elections commission, international institutions, human rights defenders and organisations, the media, the people, etc.
Global Bersih Activities in the Human Rights Capital, Geneva The Kofi Annan Foundation (KAF) was invited to visit Malaysia to assess electoral practices. Alan Doss, the Executive Director of KAF, visited Malaysia in May 2016, met with NGO leaders and government officials for this very purpose. Based on their findings, KAF is planning to hold a regional forum on Elections with Integrity sometime in mid-2017. After many meetings with the US Mission to the UN in Geneva, Global Bersih is now recognised as an NGO player in Geneva and is regularly invited to attend the Ambassador’s pre-Human Rights Council briefing at their premises. It’s an opportunity for Global Bersih to highlight Malaysia’s Human Rights (HR) and Electoral reform issues to the US Ambassador who will then pass on the information to the US State Department and try
to show support for Malaysian representatives lobby in the UN. Partnering with Suaram, Global Bersih meets regularly with UN Special Rapporteurs (SR)/desk officers like Freedom of Expression (FOE), Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association (FOAA), Human Right’s Defenders (HRD)s, etc to update them on current HRs status in Malaysia. This ongoing dialogue resulted in two primary outcomes: During the 32nd session of the HRC in March 2016, the UN High Commissioner for HRs, Prince Syed specifically mentioned his concerns about the HRs violations of Malaysia in his report to the assembly.
After the detention and release of Bersih 2.0s Chairperson Maria Chin in December, the SRs on FOE, FOAA, HRDs and Women’s Rights issued a statement condemning the treatment of Maria by the authorities and also their concern about the use of SOSMA(Security Offences [Special Measures] Act 2012) on human rights activists. These two interventions by the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) clearly shows the benefit of NGO lobbying as it pressures them to put the Malaysian authorities on notice that their actions are monitored and reacted to by the UN and like-minded governments.
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Global Bersih Outreach Outreach to European Cities
Organised Outreach Video calls
Global Bersih Secretary, Bala Chelliah visited Global Bersih Paris and Global Bersih Netherlands in February to help promote Global Bersih to local city supporters, and also assist in determining activities that the cities can undertake to galvanise interest and participation. Both cities welcomed the support, and an ongoing dialogue has been established with the Global Bersih Secretariat in Geneva.
Global Bersih reached out to city coordinators and to keep them informed and engaged via video calls with Bersih 2.0 Chairperson, Maria Chin Abdullah and our patron, Ambiga Sreenevasan. These video call events were well attended and appreciated by city coordinators. The Secretariat is looking to hold such events regularly and expanding the pool of speakers or guests to cultivate awareness and knowledge of electoral issues and advocacy in Malaysia.
A meeting with Jordan of Bersih Perth was held in there in March where Global Bersih explored how to reach out and engage with local students.
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Global Bersih Outreach
Zunar’s Tour Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, better known as Zunar to Malaysians, is an award-winning political cartoonist. He has been exposing corruption and abuse of power committed by the government of Malaysia through his artwork for nearly 20 years. Global Bersih chapter managed to connect with him during his travels. In January 2016, Global Bersih San Francisco flew Zunar to the San Francisco Bay Area from the US East Coast where he had been attending a media event. Zunar had an opportunity to present his take on the current political conditions in Malaysia. Donations were also collected for his defence funds. In May 2016, the Cartooning for Peace awards were presented in Geneva to Malaysia’s very own Zunar. Global Bersih Geneva organised a get together where he talked about the trials of being a human rights cartoonist in Malaysia. Zunar also donated a few copies of Sapuman(his book), which were sold to raise funds for Global Bersih. Global Bersih chapters in Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney and worked with the Association of Malaysians in Western Australia (AMWA), Malaysian Progressives in Australia (MPOz) and Dr Susan Leong to organised several events as part of Zunar’s Australian tour in June. He gave public talks at Murdoch University and Curtin University and was interviewed by
the local media. His tour kick-started in Sydney with a free public event at the Newton neighbourhood centre. Global Bersih London welcomed Zunar in December, as he was attending an exhibition at the Cartoon Museum. Talks were organised in collaboration with the Index on Censorship and Zunar also took this opportunity to address interested journalists in London.
Global Bersih Geneva Global Bersih Geneva hosted a few major pro-democracy figures in 2016. In March, the City hosted S. Arutchelvan, the leader of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, and Sevan Doraisamy, Executive Director of SUARAM, while they were attending the 31st regular session of the UNHRC. The Global Bersih team was updated on the latest state of affairs in Malaysia. An indoor forum was held in November, in conjunction with Zunar’s exhibition in Geneva. Works by Zunar, Fahmi Reza as well from Global Bersih supporters were exhibited during this event and participants could join a discussion with the panels that included Zunar who joined the event per Skype.
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Global Bersih Outreach cont. Global Bersih San Francisco
Global Bersih London
In October, Global Bersih San Francisco welcomed Steering Committee member, Ivy Josiah. Ivy Josiah made a presentation on the current political conditions in Malaysiaincluding updates from the Bersih convoys to rural areas.
In February 2016, Global Bersih London welcomed Nurul Izzah Lebuh Pantai MP. Nurul met with some British MPs, speakers from the House of Commons and the foreign minister for South East Asia, Hugo Swire. The minister agreed to issue a statement calling on the Malaysian government to release Anwar as a political prisoner and seven British MPs raise questions at Parliament.
In November, the team met with Fahmi Fadzil (People’s Justice Party-PKR) and discussed prospects for the next general elections (GE14), the developments in the opposition parties, and the role of overseas Malaysians in the electoral reform.
Global Bersih Paris Global Bersih Paris showcased young Malaysians who have and are contributing to Malaysia’s progress in different fields through various activities. An environmental conservationist, Sheema Abdul Aziz presented her work on the active role played by bats in Malaysian agriculture. Felik Wong screened his award-winning short film “A Day in the Library”. An informal dinner gathering was organised with Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah to enable a dialogue on currents issues pertaining the political climate in Malaysia. The Paris team continued to pursue its collaboration with the Paris Bar by organising a meeting with Honey Tan, Chair of the Family Law Committee, and Co-Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Malaysian Bar Council. In 2016, the Malaysian Bar Council became the first recipient of the inaugural Rule of Law Award by the International Association of Lawyers (Union Internationale d’ Avocats, UIA); a representative of the UIA had attended previous Global Bersih Paris events with the Paris Bar.
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Global Bersih London has also been communicating with media outlets in The UK to raise awareness of the crackdown on human rights defenders.
Global Bersih Outreach cont. Global Bersih Netherlands Global Bersih Netherlands (NL) has hosted many Malaysians-get-together events locally. In February, Global Bersih Secretary Bala Chelliah had a meeting with the team in Utrecht. Bersih NL also welcomed Bersih 2.0 Manager Mandeep Singh and Advocacy Coordinator Zoe Randhawa who met with the members of the local chapter Secretariat in The Hague and discussed current issues and incidents in Malaysia, such as the crackdown on civil society movements.
Global Bersih Secretary Bala Chelliah with the Global Bersih Netherlands team.
Global Bersih Germany’s local representative travelled to Zurich for a meeting with the chapters in Geneva, Zurich and the representative from the Secretariat to build a network of an international community of Malaysian diaspora. Global Bersih Germany also attended the meeting organised by Bersih Netherlands in The Hague, to discuss the role of overseas Malaysians in the Electoral reform. Through the social media activities, this chapter has managed to bring Malaysians in five German cities together and build a network across Germany not only with Malaysians but also with local NGO’s such as Amnesty International Deutschland in Frankfurt.
Mandeep Singh and Zoe Randhawa from Bersih 2.0 in discussion with Global Bersih Netherlands and Germany
Global Bersih Singapore This chapter of Global Bersih has found a niche in navigating the strategic disadvantage of Malaysian diaspora in Singapore, by disseminating information and supporting Bersih 2.0 and Global Bersih through our Facebook Page (facebook.com/Bersih5SG/) and email list (http://eepurl.com/corWcr). Global Bersih Singapore played a part in the Global Bersih’s Voter Registration Campaign, collecting information on the eligibility of Malaysians in Singapore to vote and observing the registration process at the Malaysian Embassy in Singapore.
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Global Bersih Outreach cont. Global Bersih Sydney The city of Sydney welcomed Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah. Dato’ Saifuddin is the chief secretary of the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan to share insights, updates and information about where Malaysia is headed in the wake of the 1MDB scandal, and the challenges to the Najib government in a souring economy.
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Highlights | Advocacy and Outreach
Proposal to Reform the Overseas Voting Process There are approximately 1.4 million Malaysians living overseas (source: World Bank). Section 2 of the Election (Registration of Electors) Regulations 2002, allows Malaysian students and civil servants based overseas to register as ‘absent voters’, enabling them for postal voting. However, this process disenfranchises the rest of overseas Malaysians as they will have to return to Malaysia to vote. Furthermore, most Malaysian embassies do not facilitate registration of overseas Malaysians as ‘ordinary electors’ due to many reasons including lack of information or inconsistent information. The Global Bersih team has put together a proposal advocating the reform of the overseas voting process that ensures inclusiveness of all Malaysians in the elections processes, voter secrecy and transparency of the electoral policy and practices. This proposal is a product of a Global Bersih’s survey on the overseas registration procedures of 10 cities* worldwide.
The survey concluded that most of the embassies are misinformed, confused and inconsistent about electoral policy, especially in regards to postal voting. Therefore, there is no existing uniformed system of registering voters at the embassies. The proposal which is supported by overseas Malaysians worldwide has been forwarded to all involved parties such as Malaysians embassies worldwide, the Election Commissions in Malaysia, NGOs and political parties. We are awaiting reply for further actions. To read the full proposal, visit www.globalbersih.org *Singapore, Canberra, Melbourne, Wellington, Hong Kong, Chennai, Washington DC, New York, London and The Hague.
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Highlights | Advocacy and Outreach
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61 49 13 48 42 12 6411 3 10 28 1 6323 27 24 2 47 26
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gloBal Bersih conVoy Malaysians across Borders are coMing together for a new Malaysia
Some global cities have twinned with Malaysian towns to raise the profile of Bersih 5 and promote stronger ties between overseas Malaysians and in Malaysia. 1. cologne (germany): Georgetown 1. (Germany): Georgetown 2. Cologne Paris (france): Lumut 2. (France): Lumut 3. Paris glasgow (scotland): Keningau 3. (Scotland): Keningau 4. Glasgow Minneapolis (Usa): Sandakan 4. 5. Minneapolis columbus (USA): (Usa):Sandakan Johor Bahru 5. (USA): Johor Bahru 6. Columbus sydney (australia): Kuantan 6. (Australia): Kuantan 7. Sydney auckland (nZ): Miri 7. (NZ):(nZ): Miri Kota Bharu 8. Auckland wellington 8. (NZ):dc Kota BharuSibu 9. Wellington washington (Usa): 9. DCTawau (USA): Sibu 10.Washington den haag: 10. Haag (The Netherlands): Tawau 11. Den hamburg (germany) 11. 12. Hamburg stuttgart(Germany) (germany) 12. (Germany) 13.Stuttgart Berlin (germany) 13. (Germany) 14.Berlin Brisbane (australia) 14. Brisbane (Australia) 15. Gold Coast (Australia) Note: Map 16. is for Melbourne illustrative purposes only. It may not be accurate. (Australia) 17. Perth (Australia) 18. Hong Kong 19. San Francisco (USA) 20. New York (USA) 21. Los Angeles (USA) 22. Atlanta (USA)
15. gold coast (australia) Lyon (France) 16.23. Melbourne (australia) London (UK) 17.24. Perth (australia) Birmingham 18.25. hong Kong (UK) Newcastle (UK)(Usa) 19.26. san francisco 27. Geneva (Switzerland) 20. new york (Usa) 28. Zurich (Switzerland) 21. los angeles (Usa) 29. Busan (South 22. atlanta (Usa)Korea) Vancouver (Canada) 23.30. lyon (france) 31. Victoria(UK) (Canada) 24. london 32. Calgary (Canada) 25. Birmingham (UK) 33. Montreal (Canada) 26. newcastle (UK) 34. Toronto (switzerland) (Canada) 27. geneva 35. Edmonton (Canada) 28. Zurich (switzerland) 36. Mississauga (Canada) 37. Ottawa (Canada) 38. Winnipeg (Canada) 39. Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) 40. Kyoto (Japan) 41. Chicago (USA) 42. Toyko (Japan) 43. Dublin (Ireland) 44. Canberra (Australia)
29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42.
Busan (south Korea) 45. Manila (Philippines) Vancouver (canada) 46. New(canada) Orleans (USA) Victoria 47. Munich (Germany) calgary (canada) 48. Nantes(canada) (France) Montreal 49. Limousin (France) toronto (canada) 50. Shanghai (China) edmonton (canada) 51. Taipei (Taiwan) Mississauga (canada) 52. Bogota (Colombia) ottawa (canada) 53. Lima (Peru) winnipeg (canada) 54. de Quito (Ecuador) rio Janeiro (Brazil) 55. Adelaide (Australia) Kyoto (Japan) 56. Singapore chicago (Usa) 57. Houston (USA) lyon (france) 58. Michigan (USA) 59. Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) 60. Bangkok (Thailand) 61. Milan (Italy) 62. Doha (Qatar) 63. Villach (Austria) 64. Istanbul (Turkey) 65. Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Highlights | Advocacy and Outreach cont. International support for Bersih 5 International support for Bersih 5 was a key message in New Zealand. During the rally on 19th November, Global Bersih Auckland distributed flyers with information on arrests in the form of crackdown on civil society, Jom Daftar Undi and others in effort to educate Malaysians overseas. A representative of Global Bersih Minneapolis also joined hands with Global Bersih Auckland in support of Maria Chin’s freedom and protesting the abolishment of SOSMA on the 27th of November. On November 19, 63 cities all over the world stood in solidarity with Malaysia’s Bersih 5 rally demanding a fair and clean election.
Before and during the rally, Global Bersih successfully coordinated information and database management to support the city coordinators through updates and information dissemination. These were done through digital media, such as on the Global Bersih website, Facebook and Twitter. Secretary Bala Chelliah who is based in Geneva, visited Zurich in October to meet with Cheng Cheng (Global Bersih Zurich) and Nirmala Devi Windgaetter (Global Bersih Germany) to provide advice and support in preparation for the Bersih 5 rally in their respective cities. Both cities held successful rallies.
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Highlights | Advocacy and Outreach cont. Twinning To create and maintain ties between global and local communities beyond Bersih 5, Global Bersih promoted the twinning idea in conjunction with the Bersih 5 convoy. Ten Global Bersih cities twinned with ten cities in Malaysia by exchanging and sharing information and highlighting the issues related to the cities. Among the twinning cities are Cologne in Germany and Georgetown in Penang, Paris in France and Lumut in Perak, Glasgow in Scotland and Keningau in Sabah, and Minneapolis in USA and Sandakan in Sabah.
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Examples of twinning activities: • Global Bersih Germany joined hands with the state of Penang, Malaysia by highlighting leading activist and Ngo’s from Penang in the social media. • A representative from Cologne also participated in the Bersih Convoy in Penang and a flash mob in Georgetown, Penang to show support. • Global Bersih Geneva exchanged video messages with their twinning city in Melaka and highlighted issues about the city in the social media.
Highlights | Advocacy and Outreach cont.
Bebas (Free) Maria Maria Chin Abdullah’s (Bersih 2.0 Chairperson) was arrested on 18th November, under Section 124C of the Penal Code that prohibits the attempt to commit activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy. A series of daily vigil was held in Malaysia to call for Maria’s release and the abolition of Sosma. Global Bersih cities held candlelight vigils and other activities to highlight current issues and concerns about deteriorating human rights in Malaysia. A Bebas Maria vigil organised by the Geneva Chapter, held at the Nelson Mandela monument.
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Financial Summary Income and Expenses Income Received Donations Individuals Cities1 Crowdfunding Individuals Global Bersih Geneva2 Global Bersih Paris3 Funds from t-shirts Total Income Expenses Administrative Staff Fees Website Development T-shirt costs T-shirt Postage Cards Bank Charges Miscellaneous Expenses Cash4 Others Hall Rental5 Total Expenses Expenses Over Income Balance Sheet at 31.12.2016 Reserves 2015 Reserves brought forward 2016 Expenses Over Income Reserves available at 31.12.2006 Represented by: Cash at Bank Cash in Hand6 Total Cash
SFRS
MYR
206 848 3,300 250 50 1,542 6,196
26,332
5,910 720 1,140 252 85 130 120 8,357 -2,161
35,516 -9,184
9,721 -2,161 7,560
32,130
7,337 223 7,560
32,130
Notes: SFRS - Swiss Francs MYR - Malaysian Ringgit (exchange rate of 1 SFRS = 4.25MYR) 1. Outstanding donations from GB Cities: San Francisco- 300, Paris - 200, Geneva - 120. This will be recognised in 2017 accounts 2. Zunar’s book sales’ collection by GB Geneva, donated to a crowdfunding appeal 3. Donations collected by GB Paris in January - banked in by Bala Chelliah to crowdfunding appeal 4. Misc. expenses incurred by Secretary Bala when visiting GB Paris and Utrecht in Jan 2017 5. Hall Rental for a Bersih 5 Forum by GB Geneva - to be reimbursed in 2017 6. Petty cash - 200 SFRS with Bala (Geneva) and 23 SFRS with Ivy (Kuala Lumpur)
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Fundraising “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead Global Bersih is an independent, non-profit volunteer-run organisation. All members at various levels of the organisation contribute their valuable time, effort and items (monetary or in-kind), to support the Global Bersih’s vision, mission and work. As such, the organisation relies on the generous donations of supporters and fellow Malaysians to assist and support our activities. This financial independence awards us the freedom to campaign with objectivity and impartiality, and to lobby for Institutional and Electoral Reforms, and for Free and Fair Elections. To maintain and safeguard this independence, Global Bersih does not accept donations or funding from governments or political organisations.
Crowdfunding Activities 2016 In addition to spontaneous donations by individuals from all over the world, Global Bersih organised a crowdfunding campaign in July to support Global Bersih’s administrative and IT expenses. This campaign raised 3600 SFRS or RM15,000. Support our work Your kind donation will assist the Global Bersih team in growing our resources and expanding our activities, in line with our vision of a democratic and just society Malaysia. We accept donations via online transaction as well as bank transfers.
To donate ONLINE, visit:
Website Facebook
www.globalbersih.org/donate-now-4 www.facebook.com/GlobalBersih
To donate via BANK TRANSFER, please refer to the details listed below:
Account Name GLOBAL BERSIH Main Account 0251 - 1527723 - 81 (CHF Swiss Account) IBAN CH13 0483 5152 7723 8100 0 Swift Code CRESCHZZ12A Bank Address CREDIT SUISSE SA Rue de Lausanne 11-19, 1211 Geneva 70 (Tel: +41 31 358 6490)
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Donors Global Bersih thanks you all for your kind donation in 2016 and look forward to your continued support. INDIVIDUALS Quddus Chong Schwass Siew lin Cheah Wei Chun Joanne Chan Chin Kim Meng Vijaya Shankar Lim Hong Teo Chin Fen Gan Hwa Fen Shanti Kulasingam Sam Laiping Susan Leong Balan Rengasamy Ngeh Chen Jen Malini Kanagalingam Wong Pei Chee Sim Geok Ling Siew Kong Pamela Louis Kim Leong Evelyn Tang Teo Sue Anne Soo Fan Lun KJ John and 13 anonymous donors
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GLOBAL BERSIH CITIES Global Bersih Geneva Global Bersih San Francisco Global Bersih Paris Global Bersih Sydney Global Bersih Auckland GLOBAL BERSIH STEERING COMMITTEE Yolanda Augustin Daphne d’Herve Bala Chelliah Lydia Chai Ivy Josiah Kevin Bathman COMPANIES Unified Advertising Avobright Technology
Glossary Terms and abbreviations used throughout this report EC Election Commission FOAA Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association FOE Freedom of Expression GB Global Bersih GE-14 14th General Elections HR Human Rights HRC UN Human Rights Council HRD Human Rights Defender KAF Kofi Annan Foundation PKR Parti Keadilan Rakyat SOSMA Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 SR Special Rapporteur
The Election Commission of Malaysia. Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas; and is recognized as a human right, a political right and a civil liberty. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Kindly refer to the ‘Introduction’ section. To be announced by the EC and will take place during the period of 2017-18. Human rights are moral principles or norms, which describe certain standards of human behaviour that applies universally to all human beings. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 sets out the most basic human rights. It is a United Nations System inter-governmental body responsible for promoting and protecting human rights around the world. Its 47 seats are filled by member states elected for three-year terms. A term used to describe people who, individually or with others, act to promote or protect human rights. The Kofi Annan Foundation mobilises political will to overcome threats to peace, development and human right, by mobilises those who are in a position to influence and bring leadership to the world’s most pressing problems. PKR or People’s Justice Party is an opposition party in Malaysia. An Act to provide for special measures relating to security offences for the purpose of maintaining public order and security and for connected matters. Special Rapporteurs are engaged under the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to conduct fact-finding missions to countries to investigate allegations of human rights violations.
Terms in the Malay language Sapu-man’
Sapu is the Malay word for a broom, or ‘to sweep’. Sapu-man here is a pun on the suffix used to refer to (usually male) heroes, “-man’; a man ‘sweeping’/saving the city.
Bebas
It means ‘to set free’, or freedom.
Jauh di mata, A Malay proverb that literally means ‘Far from sight, close at heart’. dekat di hati Bersih
It translates into the word ‘clean’, but it is also the name of an organisation, movement and rally in Malaysia, working towards free and fair elections.
Salam
It is an Arabic word that literally means “peace”, but is also used as a general greeting in most Muslim countries, or by Muslims.
Terima Kasih
It is a word that literally translated means ‘to receive love’. The term is used to express thanks and gratitude.
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Contact Information & Steering Committee Members 2016 Global Bersih 35, Rue du Rothschild 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Pphone +41 79 248 2123 Email contact@globalbersih.org Website globalbersih.org Facebook GlobalBersih Twitter GlobalBersih COLIN RAJAH President colin.rajah@globalbersih.org BALA CHELLIAH Secretary bala.chelliah@globalbersih.org LYDIA CHAI Treasurer lydia.chai@globalbersih.org KEAN WONG Steering Committee Member kean.wong@globalbersih.org CHARIS QUAY Steering Committee Member charis.quay@globalbersih.org IVY JOSIAH Steering Committee Member ivyjosiah@gmail.com KEVIN BATHMAN Steering Committee Member kevin.bathman@globalbersih.org LIM CHONG PIN Steering Committee Member chongpin.lim@globalbersih.org YOLANDA AUGUSTIN Steering Committee Member yolanda.augustin@globalbersih.org
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Global Bersih, 35, Rue du Rothschild -1202 Geneva- Switzerland • +41.7924.82123 contact@globalbersih.org • www.globalbersih.org • www.facebook.com/GlobalBersih