MALAYSIANS FOR CHANGE!

BE A BERSIH2.0 ACTIVIST!

An 8 Step Guide To Making A Submission to the Parlimentary Select Committee

Salam BERSIH!

BERSIH 2.0 submitted our recommendations to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reform during the public hearing at Kuala Lumpur. So what’s next?

It’s not over yet! The PSC will be having public hearings at Sabah, Kuching, Penang, Kota Baru and Johor Bahru. It isn’t enough that BERSIH 2.0 makes our recommendations. As a voter, you should play a role in improving the electoral system! You can be an activist for electoral reform too. We need your help in keeping up the pressure on the PSC to ensure they will take BERSIH 2.0’s recommendations seriously.

We suggest that you start by making a submission to the PSC at the public hearing closest to you. If you’re not sure what to do, here’s a simple 8 step guide that you can use:

1. Check the date and location of the public hearing nearest to you (see the list below)

2. Decide if you want to attend the hearing to observe or to raise some issues with the PSC.

3. If you want to raise some issues, we suggest you download the BERSIH 2.0 submission to the PSC here:http://hotfile.com/dl/135607551/fe90b54/12_Nov_BERSIH2_PSC_Submissions.zip.html

4. If you are presenting on behalf of an organisation, feel free to write to the PSC to inform them which day your organisation will be presenting. However, please note that informing the PSC is not compulsory. It’s a public hearing, open for anyone to walk-in. You can also present as an individual!
Send an email to the PSC: jkpilihanraya@parlimen.gov.my
Or if you prefer fax: 03-26986170 / 03-20317972

5. Read the BERSIH 2.0 documents and select which topics you want to present.

6. Decide if you would like to submit a paper on the topics you are presenting. If you want to submit a paper, feel free to extract as much as you want from the BERSIH documents. It is not compulsory to submit a paper, but it would help the PSC members to remember what you presented!

7. Before the public hearing, you should prepare yourself by outlining what you will present to the PSC. A good basic guideline is:

a. Introduce the topic you have chosen. E.g. Free and fair access to media.
b. Explain briefly why you think this is an important issue and give examples if possible. E.g. “The mainstream media usually only gives positive coverage to the ruling coalition. As a voter, I have a right to get objective information through the mainstream media so that I can fairly consider which candidate or party to vote for.”
c. Wrap up by giving your recommendations to the PSC on what can be done to improve the situation. E.g. “I think the EC must regulate the media to make sure that reporting on mainstream media is not biased. I also think that there should be a televised debate between Prime Minister candidates.”

Make sure you remain focused on the subject or the PSC members may not take you seriously. Remember that this is not a space for you to give a ceramah!

8. Attend the public hearing. Register and inform them if you would like to speak. They will allocate a time for you to speak. You will usually be given 20 to 30 minutes to speak.

Date and venue of the PSC public hearings:

25 & 26 November 2011
9.30am
Bilik Kedah, Kompleks Pentadbiran Persekutuan Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

8 & 9 Disember 2011
9.30am
Bilik Gerakan Negeri, Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petrajaya, Kuching, Sarawak

15 & 16 Disember 2011
9.30am
Dewan Sri Pinang, Lebuh Light, Pulau Pinang

7 & 8 Januari 2012
9.30am
Bilik Gerakan Negeri, Kota Darul Naim, Kota Bharu, Kelantan

12 & 13 Januari 2012
9.30 am
Bilik Gerakan Tun Abdul Razak, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, Johor

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SUGGESTED BY ANON916AM

Make a copy of any written submission and send it to Bersih. Just so that the rakyat knows the content ... and also so that the PSC doesn't bin the submissions on their way out of the hall.