The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) welcomes the Court of Appeal decision today dismissing the appeal of Jamal Yunos, Sungai Besar UMNO Chief to set aside the suit of former BERSIH Chair, Maria Chin Abdullah during the BERSIH 5 rally. Maria Chin Abdullah and BERSIH were defamed as agent to the Daesh terrorist group.

BERSIH is a civil society coalition that adheres to the Federal Constitution and respects the rule of law. In all of BERSIH’s rallies, those who joined the rallies understood their rights, as citizen, to freedom of assembly and association as enshrined in the Article 10 of the Federal Constitution.

The defamation against Maria Chin Abdullah, and generally to BERSIH, is politically motivated and the Court’s decision today proved that defamation politics has no place in Malaysia.

BERSIH congratulates Maria, her lawyers and all Malaysians who continue to defend the right to peaceful assembly and pushing the government to implement reform agenda for clean and fair elections.

Released by:

The Steering Committee of BERSIH