SYDNEY, April 12 — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan may be irrevocably associated with Bersih’s iconic rallies, but the former chair of the electoral reform group said education and changing mindsets were needed to achieve lasting change.

Speaking at a meet and greet event hosted by Bersih Sydney last night, Ambiga said that recent events such as the conviction of two senior opposition leaders and the global criticism of Malaysia over the Flight MH370 crisis showed a pressing need for the change to occur before the next general election.

“Rallies have [their] moments and effectiveness in the run-up to GE13, but in this time that we have before the next election, my own view is that we have to educate,” Ambiga said to an audience of about 80 in the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts (SMSA).

“When you educate the rural population and you actually inspire with knowledge, it is more enduring.”

But she noted that changing the perceptions of Malaysians would be a challenge after over half century under the rule of the Barisan Nasional government and its predecessor.

Ambiga said this was most difficult in rural areas, which were largely reliant on government-controlled media for their information.

Despite saying that education was the key to meaningful reforms, however, Ambiga repeated her previous warnings that another Bersih street rally would occur if the Election Commission (EC) presses ahead with a planned re-delineation without addressing previously raised concerns.

The EC is reportedly planning to increase the number of federal seats from the current 222 to 280.

Bersih has demanded that the entire EC be replaced before embarking on such an exercise.

Bersih previously organised two massive street rallies in a bid to pressure the government to reform the electoral process that it insisted was lopsided.

The rallies — “Bersih 2.0” on July 9, 2011 and “Bersih 3.0” in April 28 last year — saw an unprecedented tens of thousands of Malaysians pour onto the streets of the national’s capital here to demand for voting reforms, and joined by other groups gathering throughout the country and the world.

Although the rallies began peacefully, they eventually descended into chaos, with the third installment being the largest and most tumultuous of the series.