KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 13: Shut out from and derided daily by the mainstream media, supporters of electoral reforms coalition Bersih 2.0 have taken the next phase of the protests to the internet, with several Facebook pages set up on a plethora of calls.
One of the first such pages has todate managed to gather 165,000 'Likes' within days, calling for prime minister Najib Razak’s resignation. (pic). Buoyed by its popularity, others have set up similar pages urging for other BN leaders’ resignation, especially those who had been at the forefront of attacks against the massive Bersih rally last Saturday/
Among these are fan pages demanding resignation of deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Home minister Hishammuddin Hussein and MCA president Chua Soi Lek, all of whom have condemned the Bersih protests and defended police action. While Muhyiddin and Hishammuddin had made their opposition against Bersih clear from the start, Chua's boastful remark that his party MCA could easily gather 50,000 came yesterday, in an indirect admission that Bersih attracted that number although police claimed it was only 6,000-people strong.
At press time, however, none of these pages have proven to be as popular as the one seeking Najib's removal.
Yet another page has sprung up, in an apparent response to Najib’s jibe against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s injury when a tear gas canister was fired by the police directly at him, which severely injured his bodyguard.
The fanpage runs “1,000,000 mahu Najib cuba Tear Gas Sendiri” (One million want Najib to try tear gas on his own) has so far gathered more than 10,000 fans.
A day after the rally which saw more than 1,600 people being arrested, Najib poked fun at Anwar's injury, saying the Permatang Pauh member of parliament was over-reacting over "a little tear gas".
Meanwhile, Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan has distanced her organisation from the Facebook pages, saying its objective was for electoral reforms.
"We have nothing to do with that (the Facebook campaign). It is never and has never been Bersih’s intention for the prime minister to step down," she told the Wall Street Journal.
Related:
117K...err, 119k ... people tell Najib to go - and they are growing
http://en.harakah.net.my/index.php/berita-utama/3125-post-bersih-protests-turn-to-facebook-with-colourful-demands.html
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