In what is seen as another slap in the face for the Najib administration, a prominent law university in the UK will confer an honorary doctorate on Bersih chief Ambiga Sreenevasan.
The 55-year old Ambiga's plate is already full, having also been honoured as one of the world's 8 receipients of the prestigious US International Women of Courage Award some two years back. But the doctorate from the UK's University of Exeter is the icing on the cake.
Certainly, the past few months have been tough for Ambiga, who received threats on her life. Blogs aligned to Prime Minister Najib Razak's UMNO party were so uncouth as to even threaten her with "gang-rape" if she did not cancel the Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections, which was held on July 9.
Thus, her triumph is all the more celebrated by Bersih supporters and her well-wishers.
“She is well regarded by most of her peers and enjoys the ear of many of the judges,” Malaysian Insider reported prominent lawyer Tommy Thomas as saying.
“There is no way anyone today can describe her without mentioning Bersih. I’m sure the person from University of Exeter who had a hand in her nomination will do the same. She is Malaysia’s best-known personality today."
Different rewards for different principles
Ambiga reportedly left for London during the weekend, around the time that Najib and his entourage went to Rome to see the Pope.
In London for a 4-day official visit that began late last week, Najib was greeted by angry Malaysian diaspora who wore the yellow Bersih T-shirt to show him what they though of his high-handed actions against the July 9 civilians march.
Bersih 2.0 is a coalition of 62 top NGOs, chaired by Ambiga, and formed for the purpose of creating public awareness and demand for free and fair elections in Malaysia's notoriouly corrupt and distorted system.
An angered Najib ordered an unprecedented crackdown, and on rally day, thousands were injured and one left dead. Nearly 2,000 have been arrested over Bersih and 6 politicians remain in detention without trial under an archaic Emergency law.
The Malaysian PM has been chastised by the United Nations, the US and snubbed by the British Queen, who wore a stunningly yellow dress at the royal audience. Her attire sent an enormous cheer amongst everyday Malaysians, who took it as a sign of solidarity with their efforts to transform their society.
"Thanks to the Najib administration’s actions, Bersih 2.0 has been transformed into one of the best-known organisations," said Tommy.
