{"id":44214,"date":"2026-05-09T18:38:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T10:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/?p=44214"},"modified":"2026-05-09T19:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T11:09:03","slug":"civil-society-marks-8th-anniversary-of-509-with-renewed-reform-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/2026\/05\/44214.html","title":{"rendered":"Civil Society Marks 8th Anniversary of \u201c509\u201d with Renewed Reform Agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"

In conjunction with the 8th anniversary of \u201c509\u201d, which also marked Malaysia\u2019s first-ever federal change of government, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) organised a joint press conference on 9 May 2026 (Saturday) at 10.00am at the Cheng Yi Auditorium, KLSCAH. The press conference was jointly supported by Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM), BERSIH and Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM), bringing together civil society organisations from different backgrounds to reflect on Malaysia\u2019s democratic transition and institutional reform process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representatives present at the press conference included:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010KLSCAH\u3011<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Ngan Teng Ye (President)<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Thay Peng Hong (Vice President)<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Ng Geok Chee (Vice President)<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Yeo An Thai (Secretary-General)<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Tan Soon Lim (Treasurer)<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Ong Soo Lee (Chairperson, Socio-Economic Committee)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010IKRAM\u3011<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Hj Badlishah Sham bin Baharin (President)<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Dr Sabariah binti Baharun (Vice President)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010BERSIH\u3011<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 Alexzander Bernard Johnson (Treasurer)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u3010GBM\u3011<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u2022 IR. Stanley Yong Yew Wei (Chairperson)<\/span><\/p>\n

Although Sabah Action Body Advocating Rights (SABAR) was not among the signatories of the joint statement, the organisation nevertheless sent its representative, Faisal Mohidin, Chairperson of the SABAR Peninsular Malaysia Secretariat, to express support for cross-community civil society cooperation in advancing democratic reform.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the joint statement, we, as the signatory organisations, stressed that the events of \u201c509\u201d in 2018 represented more than just a change of government. It marked a major turning point in Malaysia\u2019s democratic development and reflected the cumulative impact of years of civic engagement and reform advocacy by civil society. However, eight years on, many long-promised institutional reforms \u2014 including the separation of prosecutorial powers, parliamentary reforms, political financing laws, institutional independence and stronger checks and balances on executive power \u2014 remain incomplete or lacking clear progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement also expressed concern over the growing sense of political apathy and democratic fatigue among the public. At a time when public discourse is increasingly shaped by emotional reactions, populist narratives and fragmented social media culture, substantive discussions on institutional reform and long-term nation-building are gradually being sidelined. We emphasised that the greatest threat to democracy is not the existence of differing opinions, but when citizens begin to disengage from public affairs and lose confidence in participating in the reform process.<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the \u201c509\u201d anniversary initiative, we, as a coalition of cross-community civil society organisations, have decided to help rebuild a healthier public discourse space. We also announced plans to organise a public forum in mid-July this year, bringing together academics, political commentators, civil society representatives and members of the public to discuss Malaysia\u2019s democratic challenges, institutional weaknesses and future reform priorities. The forum is not intended to support any political party, but rather to bring public attention back to institutional reform and nation-building.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the remarks session, KLSCAH President Ngan Teng Ye said that while certain changes had taken place since 2018, many Malaysians were now experiencing democratic fatigue due to the gap between public expectations and the slow pace of reform. He stressed that society must not disengage from politics and reform efforts, as public withdrawal would only leave room for opportunistic politicians and divisive politics to dominate national discourse.<\/span><\/p>\n

IKRAM President Hj Badlishah Sham bin Baharin said that nation-building and democratic reform require patience, long-term commitment and collective participation from all segments of society. He added that a harmonious and democratic nation must be built upon values, ethics and a mature culture of dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

BERSIH Treasurer Alexzander Bernard Johnson acknowledged that many Malaysians remain disappointed with the current political climate, but noted that several important reforms had nevertheless taken place since 2018. Among them were improvements in workers\u2019 rights, sexual harassment legislation and ongoing discussions on reforms such as limiting the Prime Minister\u2019s term, separating prosecutorial powers and introducing a Freedom of Information Act. He stressed that continued public pressure and civic oversight remain essential to ensure the reform agenda does not stall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, GBM Chairperson IR. Stanley Yong Yew Wei highlighted longstanding concerns surrounding 3R politics, weak information transparency, the limited oversight role of Parliament and the absence of local council elections for decades. He also urged Malaysians to continue participating actively in future elections in order to keep the country\u2019s reform process moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking as a representative from East Malaysia and on behalf of SABAR Semenanjung Malaysia, Faisal Mohidin said the struggle surrounding MA63 is not merely a historical issue, but one that concerns Sabah\u2019s constitutional rights, dignity and fair representation within the Federation of Malaysia. He explained that SABAR is a non-partisan civil society movement committed to advocating for the rights of Sabahans through legal action, policy advocacy and constructive public engagement based on the spirit and provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63). While acknowledging several positive developments, including greater state autonomy in certain key sectors and ongoing efforts by the Sabah state government, he stressed that issues involving education, healthcare, oil royalty, continental shelf rights, as well as parliamentary representation for Sabah and Sarawak, still require sustained attention, political commitment and meaningful reform.<\/p>\n

The press conference concluded with a group photo session involving all participating representatives, and officially ended at around 11.00am.<\/span><\/p>\n

KLSCAH extends its appreciation to all NGO representatives, members of the media and members of the public who attended in support of democratic reform and civic engagement efforts. Further details regarding the upcoming public forum in July will be announced once finalised.<\/span><\/p>\n

Civil society organisations :<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The Kuala Lumpur And Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH)<\/li>\n
  2. Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM)<\/li>\n
  3. BERSIH<\/li>\n
  4. Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Joint Media Statement:<\/strong>
    \nhttps:\/\/klscah.org.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/3.-English-Statement.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Following the press conference, representatives from all participating organisations gathered for a group photo to express their continued concern and commitment towards Malaysia\u2019s democratic development, institutional reform process, and sustained civil society participation in public affairs in conjunction with the 8th anniversary of \u201c509\u201d. Front row from left: Chairman of SABAR secretariat for peninsular Faisal Mohidin, BERSIH Treasurer Alexzander Bernard Johnson, KLSCAH President Ngan Teng Ye, IKRAM President Hj Badlishah Sham bin Baharin, GBM Chairman Yong Yew Wei Back row from left: KLSCAH Treasurer Tan Soon Lim, KLSCAH Vice President Thay Peng Hong, KLSCAH Vice President Ng Geok Chee, KLSCAH Secretary General Yeo An Thai, Deputy President IKRAM Jusni Bin Yusoff, Chairperson of KLSCAH Social Economic Committee Ong Soo Lee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    KLSCAH President Ngan Teng Ye gave his speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    IKRAM President Hj Badlishah Sham bin Baharin gave his speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    BERSIH Treasurer Alexzander Bernard Johnson gave his speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    GBM President Yong Yew Wei gave his speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"\"
    Chairman of SABAR secretariat for peninsular Faisal Mohidin gave his speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In conjunction with the 8th anniversary of \u201c509\u201d, which also marked Malaysia\u2019s first-ever federal change of government, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) organised a joint press conference on 9 May 2026 (Saturday) at 10.00am at the Cheng Yi Auditorium, KLSCAH. The press conference was jointly supported by Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM), BERSIH and Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM), bringing together civil society organisations from different backgrounds to reflect on Malaysia\u2019s democratic transition and institutional reform process. Representatives present at the press conference included: \u3010KLSCAH\u3011 \u2022 Ngan Teng Ye (President) \u2022 Thay Peng Hong (Vice President) \u2022 Ng Geok Chee (Vice President) \u2022 Yeo An Thai (Secretary-General) \u2022 Tan Soon Lim (Treasurer) \u2022 Ong Soo Lee (Chairperson, Socio-Economic Committee) \u3010IKRAM\u3011 \u2022 Hj Badlishah Sham bin Baharin (President) \u2022 Dr Sabariah binti Baharun (Vice President) \u3010BERSIH\u3011 \u2022 Alexzander Bernard Johnson (Treasurer) \u3010GBM\u3011 \u2022 IR. Stanley Yong Yew Wei (Chairperson) […]\n","protected":false},"author":671,"featured_media":44190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[175,279,278],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-event","category-klscah-event-summary","category-report"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/1.-group-photo-one.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44214"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/671"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44214"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44232,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44214\/revisions\/44232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klscah.org.my\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}