A ban has been ordered by the state authority on SUARAM election talks!

Analysis of General Election:

“Where is Democratization of Malaysia Heading Towards?”

Press statement

A ban has been ordered by the state authority on SUARAM election talks!

SUARAM Penang has received a last-minute call from the Caring Society Complex person-in-charge last night (26/3/08), who claimed that the Penang state Secretariat has ordered a ban on the coming Friday and Saturday’s democracy talks.

The ban has been ordered by the vice state secretary Muhammad Yusoff bin Wazir who commented ‘the talks look and smell political’, thus it contradicts with the ‘caring and harmony’ image of Caring Society Complex. Despite the ban, the talks will remain on Friday and Saturday nights. The venue has been switched to Penang Chinese Town Hall in Jalan Kapitan Keling (or known as Pitt street).

The analysis of general election talk titled “To Where Democratization of Malaysia” has proudly invited speakers like Datuk Dr. Toh Kin Woon, Mr. Wong Chin Huat, Jeff Ooi and Ani Netto. All press is welcomed to do coverage on the two-day event.

Date: 28 March 2008

Time: 8pm

Venue: Penang Chinese Town Hall

Speakers: Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woo, Mr. Wong Chin Huat and Jeff Ooi.

Moderator: Yeo Siew Yean

Language: Mandarin

Date: 29 March 2008

Time: 8pm

Venue: Penang Chinese Town Hall

Speakers: Mr. Wong Chin Huat and Anil Netto

Moderator: Ng Eng Kiat

Language: English

Mr. Wong Chin Huat is a journalism lecturer of the School of Arts and Sciences in Arts Discipline, Monash University, Sunway campus (Malaysia).He completed/He obtained his PhD in the University of Essex in electoral system and party politics in West Malaysia, 1982-2004. Before joining the academia, he had been working as a political columnist and lobbyist. He co-initiated the “People Are the Boss” declaration in 1999 and is currently the chairperson of the Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI)

Mr. Anil Netto, an Exco member of ALIRAN, is a famous blogger that also writes for Aliran Monthly, Inter Press Service, Asia Times and The Herald

We first saw denying the BN two-thirds majority as an insurmountable task, but have been pleasantly shocked and surprised. This time around, BN has been denied a two-third majority in parliament for the first time.

Apart from discussing why the results were the way they were, it is also important for us to discuss what the next is for people.

For those who interested in better understanding of political develepment in Malaysia, all are welcome to the talk, free admission.

Any inquiry please contacts Lau Shu Shi 012-8756179 or 04-6582285.

Lau Shu Shi

Coordinator of SUARAM Penang branch

012-8756179/04-6582285