Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-12-10

The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy on Sunday presented a coalition of Malaysian

Bersih 2.0 Chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah speaks about her coalition’s experiences, during an interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency on Sunday. The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy on Sunday presented Bersih 2.0 with the 2017 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award. (CNA photo)

NGOs with the 2017 Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award.

The recipient is the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, known as Bersih 2.0. Bersih, which means “clean” in Malay, was initially founded in 2006 by political parties and NGOs with the objective of pursuing electoral reform. It was re-launched in 2009 as Bersih 2.0 by 93 NGOs with a wider agenda of monitoring all sides of the political divide and representing the diversity in Malaysian civil society.

Bersih 2.0’s chairperson, Maria Chin Abdullah, said Sunday upon receiving the award that it was a recognition of the struggle for democracy and human rights in Malaysia. She said the coalition has “brought home the idea that democracy is possible,” and that Malaysians have “crossed ethnic lines, broken the culture of fear, and are united to work for democracy and democratic governance.”
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