Parlimen Ampang

‘Aktivis 901’ blogger group vows to go global

By Clara Chooi. January 18, 2012

AMPANG, Jan 18 — A group of pro-opposition bloggers calling themselves "Aktivis 901" (901 activists) vowed today to take Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) fight for justice and human rights global by using Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent sodomy acquittal as their founding struggle.

Borrowing the now-famous "901" tag used to refer to the date of Anwar's acquittal — January 9 — the group said during its soft launch this morning that the purpose of "Aktivis 901" was to ensure that all slanderous statements and allegations issued by Barisan Nasional (BN) would be immediately rebutted online.

Its coordinator Azura Aziz added that "Aktivis 901" would also help ensure Malaysians abroad are aware of the current political scenario in their home country.

"We decided to build a group, a non-governmental organisation to bring forward all pro-PR bloggers … to bring out issues and also to counter what the pro-BN bloggers are doing.

"We are working with bloggers overseas — from Perth, the United Kingdom and Jakarta — to spread the word," she said during a press conference with Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin here.

Fellow coordinator Mohd Fareez Kamal Intidzam, who is also Zuraida's personal assistant, said many Malaysians make it a point to return home to vote during the general election, adding it is important that the group knows of the country's present political landscape.

"We are going global with this. We believe that many of our Malaysians abroad play important roles in that they actually return home to vote," he said.

He added that the group plans to travel to Jakarta tomorrow and to the UK the following month to meet with their team members there.

"This is not merely a 'Free Anwar' campaign ... this is a fight for human rights, in all matters," he said.

"Aktivis 901", which resulted from the "Free Anwar" campaign launched by PKR pending Anwar's court decision, presently has a team of 20 bloggers in Malaysia.

"The '901' tag is just symbolic ... A symbol of justice, that it began on 901," Zuraida said.

High Court judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah ruled on January 9 that the prosecution had not done enough to prove Anwar had committed sodomy against former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Anwar, 64, was similarly indicted of sodomy over a decade ago and found guilty. He spent six years in jail before being exonerated.

The former deputy prime minister has maintained that his prosecution for sodomy was politically-motivated and a plot to kill his political career.

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