Bersih 3.0: An awakening

— Cee Kay

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — After watching Bersih 2.0 from the comfort of my home, I promised myself that if ever another Bersih were to be organised, I would be there and so there I was yesterday afternoon at 1.30pm after alighting from the LRT at the Pasar Seni station. I was not disappointed as Malaysians from all races and creeds were there, from college students to aunties and mak ciks to uncles and pak ciks. It was like a carnival, with shouts of Bersih and the eight resolutions sought. The police were just standing around which was a pleasant surprise. The number of people present was beyond my expectations and strangers of different races were chatting with each other like old friends or neighbours. That gave me hope that there are better things to come.

At about 1.40pm, the crowd began to move forward led by Ambiga and other leaders of Bersih and we were joined by others along the way. From my vantage point, I could see that there were plenty of people all the way from Pudu Sentral up to the junction of Tun Perak/Tuanku Abdul Rahman Junction and there were more along the major side roads.

It was nearly 2pm and the crowd was waiting patiently along Jalan Tun Perak, as we could not move forward. Shouts of “Bersih” and “Bangun Rakyat” could be heard as well as renditions of “Negara Ku”. I was at the Masjid Jamek station when I heard a popping sound and realised that tear gas canisters had been fired. Chaos ensued. The crowd was not aware that Ambiga had given instructions for the rally to disperse as we were far away and as such, the actions of the police caught everyone by surprise!

Suddenly, my eyes began to sting and I could not breathe but it was quite impossible to move forward. There was a mak cik in front of me and she tripped. I managed to catch hold of her because I feared she would be trampled and I managed to move to a side road.
By then, I was already in tears due to the chemicals but there were strangers of all races handing out salt and helping others. We helped each other to move further away as the police were continuing to fire more tear gas canisters. I had a 20-something Malay chap begging me for some water and I gave him whatever I had even though I needed it badly for myself.

I sat beside a Malay family and an Indian guy and a lady of about 65 said to me this “ Kerajaan Zalim!” I replied in my Kedahan accent and said “ Memang!” We started chatting as a group and the mak cik said something that really moved me: “Encik, kita orang Melayu tidak benci orang Cina atau India, kita semua rakyat negara ini. Yang buat huru hara adalah orang politik dan Perkasa”. I thanked her profusely and moved on to Menara Maybank which wasn’t safe as well as all the exits to join Pudu were locked down and tear gas continued to be fired. Finally, I reached the safety of Chinatown and sat down again for a drink.

It was then that I began to ponder what the mak cik had said to me. Yes, I know all along that it is the politicians, especially the ruling ones and organisations like Perkasa that are the shit-stirrers but I never imagined that it would be told to me by a mak cik. Also seeing the camaraderie that took place amongst the crowd, especially helping each other regardless of race and creed to overcome the chemical effects of the tear gas, gave me hope that we can still rebuild this Nation of ours, hope that there is still a future in Malaysia, hope that together, we are Bangsa Malaysia! This is the true embodiment of 1 Malaysia which has failed in its implementation by the current regime. But we can only do that provided we vote wisely during GE13.

As to how successful Bersih 3.0 was as well as the brutality of the authorities, I will reserve that for others to comment.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 10:44 am and is filed under
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Bersih 3.0 in Hong Kong

by Anita Anandarajah

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — Tagged “Hong Kong 3.0 Edition”, the Bersih rally here was an exercise in contrasts.

I would not have dared to venture anywhere near Dataran Merdeka had I been home. But there I was with my four-month-old in her baby carrier in the heart of Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s busy shopping district, an area I would usually avoid because of its thronging crowds.

Why did I decide to go? Because I needed to be a part of the movement that might see my Malaysia come to a turning point. I wanted to experience a civil protest, one where I would not have to fear for my life.

There must have been about 500 supporters gathered in front of the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay at 2pm. Banners and placards calling for clean and fair elections drew the attention of tourists who took the opportunity to have photos taken with the yellow-shirted supporters.

The atmosphere was friendly, like a neighbourhood party as the group of mostly young professionals exchanged hellos and took photos.

For some it was a family affair as families took to the streets with strollers and baby slings.

A mother of two boys aged eight and 10 decided to stop by en route to a tournament as her elder son had been following the Bersih updates from Kuala Lumpur. He had watched some of it on the telly last year and Wikipedia-ed for more information.

Shukri Omar, 56, and his family were in the city for a five-day holiday when they learned of the rally. Their 23-year-old son Ahmad Syauqi was tasked with mapping out the route to Sogo and procuring the Bersih 3.0 T-shirts which they all wore.

Shukri was happy to make it to the rally. “I am very proud to see so many young people here. It is a good sign. A good beginning,” said Shukri, who is from Shah Alam.

A group of 30 Malaysians residing in China made their way from Guangdong, Dongguan, Zhongshan and Shenzhen to show their support. “We might not be in Malaysia but our heart is still in Malaysia. We love Malaysia. We want our votes to count. We want a legitimate government,” said one supporter.

When the “NegaraKu” was sung, the crowd stood at attention and sang with pride. The national anthem was sung thrice, along with “Setia” and “Ubah”.

The true stars of the afternoon were the Hong Kong police who performed an excellent job keeping our group in order. Only five officers were seen at any one time but an officer I spoke to said about 50 policemen had been deployed.

Their main task was traffic control as we made our way on foot to the Malaysian Consulate in Wan Chai, which is a 15-minute journey. It seemed like they were protecting us from being run down more than anything else.

Malaysians united by a cause. — Picture by Anita AnandarajahWe marched to the consulate to the chants of “Bersih, bersih, bersih!” as well as “Stop Lynas! Save Kuantan! Save Malaysia!”

We managed to hand over a memorandum demanding free and fair elections to the vice consular general.

The turnout had exceeded expectations. The organising committee of today’s rally had expected 100 people when it applied for a police permit two weeks ago, said organising committee member Brendon Tam, 36. Last year, 80 people showed up.

We had the weather on our side. We had the police on our side. We had a strong show of solidarity. It was a good day for Malaysians in Hong Kong.

And in true Malaysian style, the rally ended with makan at the Cinta-J restaurant located behind the Consulate.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 4:50 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 3.0 Perth

— Soon Yee Yap

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — It was amazing that despite advertising the event would commence at 2pm at Langley Park, some of our marshals who arrived early to set up saw a small crowd in yellow already at the park at 12.30pm. This was the one time when Malaysian timing did not apply.

When more of the organising team arrived at 1pm thinking that it was early enough to help with the set up and then mingle with people as they turned up, but were shocked that about a hundred were already there to greet them instead. Many sought out Jason Tong and Chom Lee, who handled the Perth Edition Bersih 3.0 T-shirts. The few left were snapped up in no time, leaving many without this limited-edition souvenir. Some made do with Stop Lynas tees which were sold as back-ups.

Topping the previous rally on July 9, 2011 of about 200, there were a little more than 500 this time around at the Swan River foreshore gathering point of Langley Park. It was a carnival-like atmosphere with young ones running around the open space, an older lady in a wheelchair listening to the chants, some taking pictures with the mascot dog, Oppa.

It was a mixed crowd of students, young families and couples, more mature long-time residents, recent migrants and some Australians. Jordan Sugunasingam was the master of ceremony and the crowd got into the mood with a guitar- and drum-led Bersih anthem adapted from the old favourite “Chan Mali Chan”.

The walk up to the consular office about 400m away on Adelaide Terrace was a visual threat. At three wide, the marshals herded the crowd into a line with a couple of Bunga Mangga and a banner taking the lead. Some brought the Malaysian flag too. As they moved they chanted, and the line was so long that when the lead reached the sit-in point at the consular office, the tail end had only just started to move from the park. With an insufficient number of marshals, we had help from volunteers to control the line crossing at least two sets of traffic lights.

The strip of easement in front of the consular office was not more than two-metres wide and the crowd had to split and gather across the road. The crowd sung “Negara Ku” with gusto and showed that they had not forgotten the lyrics to the national anthem. They also sang another old favourite “Rasa Sayang” with event day adapted lyrics. As the speeches about the purpose of the gathering commenced, the rain began to fall but this did not dampen our spirit and it proceeded in spite of the drenching.

I spoke about why we are demanding the Election Commission’s resignation, while Rahman Abdullah addressed the need to clean up the electoral roll and Jason Tong on why we need international election observers.

We were joined by Robin Chapple, WA Greens MP and Alex Bainbridge of the Socialist Alliance, who both spoke briefly on the Lynas campaign and why Australians should support the Malaysian call for electoral reforms respectively.

A message of encouragement from Ambiga Sreenevasan to Global Bersih was read out by Adelene Wee. Rahman also recited Pak Samad’s “Unggun Bersih”. All this was in the rain and made difficult when the third set of hired mobile speakers failed.

At the conclusion of the rally at about 4pm, many were seen writing messages on yellow cards and yellow ribbons to be tied to a eucalypt tree right in front of the consular office. We have the permission of the City of Perth to leave the messages and ribbons on the tree until the next general election takes place in Malaysia.

The local police, Diplomatic Protection Unit and the State Security teams were in attendance but our marshals had the crowd under control except for a short period upon arrival at the consular office when many enthusiastic photographers rushed to the median of the road to capture the scene. No rubbish was left behind but only messages to the current government.

I would have to say the crowd turnout and mix was way beyond our expectations. The orderliness of the larger crowd this time shows that Malaysians do behave well in rallies and protest marches. The police, whom we had a chat with following the closing, did not have anything adverse to report and we continue to be in their good books.

The merry band of men and women of Bersihkan Malaysia Perth deserves a big thank you from the Perth diaspora for organising a very successful albeit damp rally.

* Soon Yee Yap is a member of Bersihkan Malaysia Perth.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 11:35 am and is filed under
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Bersih 428: A personal perspective

— Dr. Goh Chee Leong

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — I am proud to say that I was at Bersih 3.0 in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, along with my wife and other family members.

In the face of the media blitz from the Barisan Nasional press and blogs, I feel that as a first hand observer I need to make the following comments and observations:

Whose interest did the violence serve?

Let’s be clear. Think about the public relations side of things and you can conclude that it was in the “political interest” of BN to engineer the violence that occurred at the end of the rally. They knew that the organisers would not be able to control the angry crowds once it was sent helter-skelter by the tear gas and water-cannons — one of the reasons why it did not allow us to use the Dataran Merdeka, which would have been easier to control.

Look at the events in Penang where we were allowed to assemble in a single large open space. No problem at all because crowd control is much easier there. BN was afraid if we could demonstrate that a movement like Bersih can be peaceful, this will destroy their “fear message” to scare the middle classes to vote BN.

There was no good reason why Merdeka Square was cordoned off.

Was there a previous booking or engagement there at that time? No.

Were they afraid we were going to damage their precious grass?

No, instead they give us some nonsense about only allowing “national” and “patriotic events” at this venue like band competitions, tourist events and mass aerobics!

If they had let us use the square, it would have been a peaceful event just like in Penang and elsewhere. We sit down for two hours; we leave. Everyone is happy.

My opinion is that the main reason why BN would not allow us to use Dataran Merdeka: they were afraid of the photos of 300,000 yellow shirts flooding the independence square would once and for all dispel this idiotic myth that the majority of citizens think that elections are fair in this country.

Photos like that can stir and persuade even more people to join the movement. It’s a social contagion that can spread like wildfire. This close to the election, BN cannot afford a shift of momentum like that.

So I speculate that political advisors must have said to BN, “no way can you allow them to be in Merdeka Square. What we want are photos of protesters fighting the police, so we provoke them by closing off Merdeka Square, and if anyone tries to breach even one section of the barricades, that gives us the excuse to start firing teargas and water cannons into all of the main crowds, we start chasing the crowd, hopefully there will be some casualties, some people will get hurt, we let the riot squad loose, beat up some protesters. We know this will all provoke the younger, less mature protester to fight back, and at that stage we know the organisers will not be able to control the crowds, which will be all over the place. Then we can plaster photos of the violence all over the papers and websites and brand Bersih and the opposition as unruly thugs.”

What exactly were the barricades protecting?

Some commentators have blamed the small section of the protestors who breached the barricades. Okay, this was perhaps a poor move “politically”, probably initiated by some over enthusiastic youth. But let’s for a moment stop and consider what exactly they were “breaching”.

Were they breaching a line that was protecting a person or a national treasure? Were the protestors breaching the line in order to attack and disrupt some event in Dataran Merdeka? Was their intention to ransack a bank or loot shops? No!

The only thing behind those barricades was an empty field. A field where Malaya was declared finally independent and free. A field that belongs to all Malaysians.

So if the police had merely allowed the protesters to breach the barricades, what would the city or the country have lost?

The police say they were protecting public interest. What public interest existed at 2pm April 28, 2012? Who were the members of the public the police are referring to? There were over 150,000 members of the public who wanted to be at the field which happened to be empty at that time.

It was a gathering that was truly Malaysian

Now, I am not claiming that everyone supports Bersih. There are those who are pro-BN and we must respect their opinion as they should respect ours. I have some friends who object to Bersih, and I am fine agreeing to disagree with them. (In a healthy democracy you need diversity in opinions to avoid “groupthink”).

However, of all the rallies I have attended in the last 14 years, this was the largest I have ever seen in Malaysia.

It reminded me of most of the opposition rallies and talks I have attended. BN can harp on and on about 1 Malaysia, but for true unity, friendliness, shared spirits, nothing beats the atmosphere at an opposition event. Not to say that Bersih was an opposition event, but it reminded me of the same cordial atmosphere.

I met so many ex students, current students, colleagues, church friends, old school friends in the four hours we were there. I was particularly proud of our students and graduates for participating. It gives me hope for Malaysia’s future.

Thirteen years ago, many people would have been scared to participate in an event like this. Now, people are more courageous.

I saw whole churches with their pastors who had organised group outings for this. To me this is great. There was a carnival atmosphere throughout the day that was just lovely.

It just goes to show (before FRU let loose) that peaceful protest does not harm the country.

Public protests do not harm the country

I know some Malaysians who are starting to buy in to the government propaganda that Malaysia is not ready for street protest. Their points are simple:

First, some like Rais Yatim say that street protest are not part of Malaysian culture. Obviously he has forgotten the pre-Merdeka rallies and marches that Malaysians including Umno organised to send a message to the British.

Also, it seems strange that BN never criticises street protest when it serves their purpose, for e.g. the almost weekly protest Umno seems to organise against Lim Guan Eng in Penang. At least Pakatan Rakyat is consistent, i.e. in Pakatan ruled states, the state government has never stopped BN supporters from organising protests.

Secondly, some say it harms business. This is probably a half truth. There were many shops in Petaling Street opened yesterday and they were doing roaring business. At least five coffee shops ran out of stock by noon. Many business and malls were closed, but you have to ask yourself, “why?”

Were they scared of the protesters or were they affected by the lack of visitors due to roadblocks and closures in public transport, and the anticipation of tear gas and water cannons?

When I was in Brisbane seven years ago, there was a massive protest along the main shopping district, but because the police played a facilitative role, tourist and shoppers were still there unhindered.

Thirdly, some people say protest affects the countries reputation. I was reading some idiotic tripe from Muhkriz Mahathir about how Bersih had tarnished the investment profile of Malaysia to Japan and elsewhere.

He obviously has not witnessed the regular protests in Japan and Korea, which are far larger, more vocal and have not seemed to slow economic progress certainly in Korea.

Also, for the YB’s information, it is not protest that drives investors away, but widespread corruption and lack of transparent governance that scares investors away.

In the US, the world’s largest economy, they can have a million people march in Washington DC, and not a single water cannon or pistol is fired. In Malaysia, we can’t even have 150,000 people sit in an empty square for twohours without all hell breaking loose.

When we were in London last year, we witnessed at least three rallies in Trafalgar Square and the police were so good in helping the protesters and tourist alike share the space.

So, my friends, rallies and marches, and sit-ins like Bersih can be part of a peaceful and prosperous country’s life.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 11:12 pm and is filed under
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DAP call for Suhakam public inquiry into indiscriminate firing of police tear gas sparking chain of violence  marring Bersih 3.0

Yesterday, I had harboured the thought and hope that Malaysia was maturing as a democracy and can equal that of developed countries, with Kuala Lumpur comparable to  London and New York, where peaceful assemblies and gatherings involving thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of people,  could be held with the full understanding and even co-operation of the police authorities.

This thought came to me when on the way from the Masjid Negara meeting point towards Dataran Merdeka, together with other Pakatan Rakyat leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Datuk Seri Awang Hadi and Mat Sabu, we saw a veritable celebration not only of Malaysian democracy but Malaysian nationhood – with Malaysians transcending race, religion, politics, age or gender, coming together in a common universal cause for clean, free and fair elections for a clean Malaysia.

But this thought and hope that  the Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” will be an international badge of honour of a maturing Malaysian democracy proved ephemeral as it was pulverized very shortly after  in the disproportionate and indiscriminate firing of police tear gas at peaceful protestors for free and fair elections massed outside Dataran Merdeka.

Clearly, the breach of the Dataran Merdeka barricade, for which commensurate action could be taken, is no justification for the release of the violent events, like  the disproportionate and indiscriminate firing of police tear gas, the police mass arrests and attacks on peaceful protestors including those who had dispersed and were on their way home,  the “heavy-handed” attack and targeting of journalists as well as  incidents where police personnel were targets of attacks.

For this reason, DAP calls for an immediate and  comprehensive Suhakam public inquiry into the  indiscriminate firing of police tear gas at Dataran Merdeka leading to a chain of  violence  marring the successful peaceful holding of a 200,000 people Bersih 3.0 Dataran Merdeka “sit-in” for free and fair elections.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 7:11 pm and is filed under
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Liberation Day @ 428

— CL Tang

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — Malaysians who participated in yesterday’s Bersih 3.0 saw firsthand, just how superficial and farcical are the BN’s government claims of reforms to make Malaysia the best democracy in the world.

That the so-called best democracy can deny the hundred thousand strong the right to peaceful assemble at Independence Square.

That the so-called best democracy would rather employ thousands of police to surround an EMPTY square, on the whim of an UNELECTED junior official, trampling over the wishes of thousands of Malaysians.

That the so-called best democracy fired tear gas canister after tear gas canister into a crowd that was ALREADY dispersing after a largely peaceful protest. My friends and I were boxed into a car park with nowhere to go, and as the air filled with the acrid smoke and breathing became difficult, I wondered if this was the wind of change that our PM is espousing.

So much for BN’s Peaceful Assembly Act.

Today, the mainstream media has already begun the complete whitewash of the biggest national event this year. By focusing their blatant biased reporting on isolated cases of admittedly over-zealous acts, they fail to showcase the true 1 Malaysia in action, where the young and the old from all races walked hand in hand, where we began the march as total strangers but ended the walk as brothers and sisters united in a noble cause.

So much for BN’s Printing Presses and Publications Act reforms.

But don’t fret, Malaysians. The hundred thousand strong who were there will tell the world what really happened. Fathers will share with their sons, mothers with daughters, grandparents with their grandchildren, friends with friends. Malaysians who missed the rally will learn the truth — of the bravery and courage of thousands of their fellow Malaysians who stood up to demand for what should have been rightfully ours from the very start — free and fair elections.

Bersih 3.0 @ 428 is a milestone in our nation’s history. Though we may have achieved independence from our colonial masters half a century ago, we now have a new oppressor, who sees Malaysia as their personal fiefdom and property. For far too long, as our rights were trampled, our nation’s wealth plundered, we remained silent, submissive, cowered. We dared not to stand up to the authorities.

428 has opened our eyes; freed our subservient minds; fired up our oppressed hearts. As we see fellow Malaysians chanting “Hidup Rakyat”, “Bersih! Bersih” and singing “Negara Ku”, we each found our own voices again. That each one of us must speak up and be counted.

As we walked away from the peaceful protest, teary-eyed due to the tear gas and heart still beating furiously because we had thought we were trapped, my best friend, a father of two young children turned to me and asked, “So, was it worth it?”

No affirmation was needed as we smiled at each other. Bersih 3.0 @ 428 was a historic and momentous day for this bunch of fathers, as it has liberated our fears and our minds. It will serve as a strong message to the present ruling party , that you can no longer close our thoughts, shut out our voices, nor deny us our rights.

Happy Liberation Day, Malaysians.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 1:32 pm and is filed under
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My Bersih 3.0 experience: Behind the barbed-wire barricades

— Marina Mahathir

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — It was the barbed wire that did it for me. Up til Friday afternoon I was still unsure about going. My hubby thought I’d already made my point last year. I was annoyed with continually being asked whether I was going or not, more so with the non-story that came out in M’kini which basically said I hadn’t decided yet. I mean, does it matter?

Then I saw the photos of the police rolling out the barbed wire and I saw red. Since when did our police, or whoever is their boss, roll out barbed wire — barbed wire!! — against their own people?? Are we thugs? Terrorists? Thieves?

So I decided to go. I contacted friends and found out their plans on how to get round the roads which were sure to be blocked and the LRT which may be stopped. The same friend who so kindly offered to be my ‘bodyguard’ last year offered himself again. We got into my car, went to collect some other friends and drove to as close to Central Market as we could.

Part of the way down Jln Brickfields we couldn’t go any further so we got down to walk. On one side of the street were thousands of people in yellow walking in the direction of the Central Market. On the other side of the street were hundreds of police in their dark blue uniforms. But they didn’t look hostile and just watched us go by.

We got to the Central Market which was swarming with people. Earlier I’d read a tweet that said that people were going into the Market to have lunch and my friends and I were laughing about Malaysians and their food. “Well,” we said, “Central Market restaurants will get a lot of business!”. But when we got there, the Market was totally closed. So all those restaurants lost business today!

Caught up with friends in the car park while we sat to wait. It was HOT!! On the little CM stage, Ambiga was seated there with many of our colleagues from women’s groups. I went up to say hello, took some photos and then went down to wait again. At 1.20pm or so, Ambi took the mike to announce that we were going to move off soon, heading towards Dataran Merdeka. But, she added, we were not to breach the barriers, we would only go as far as we could and then we would simply sit down for a while and then disperse.

The atmosphere was much more fiesta-like than last year. There were people in yellow T-shirts or in other colours, in shorts or in tudungs, lots of young ones and some also of a certain age. Like last year, it was a very diverse crowd. I bumped into some old friends, some young people I knew including a nephew and the children of some friends, and met some new ones, people who were coming to a rally for the first time ever. These were not radical highly-politicised types, just your average men and women, the type you’d meet at the supermarket perhaps. I asked one newbie woman why she came and she said it was because she realised that if she wanted change, then she had to do something.

After Ambiga spoke and a quick briefing by the marshals, we moved off. Because of the crowd we made our way slowly, stopping every now and then to take photos of the awesome crowd and ourselves. At Central Market I estimated there were at least 6,000 people that I could see (though I have to say I’m bad at estimates) but many, many more joined us as we walked along.

When we got to Lebuh Pasar Besar, there was a big crowd on it facing the direction of Dataran Merdeka while others continued on to Jalan Tun Perak. We decided we would stay on Lebuh Pasar Besar (where the Bar Council is) and made our way towards the bridge across the Klang River (just before Agro Bank). That was where we had to stop because the police had put up a barrier of barbed wire (actually my husband said it’s razor wire, not barbed wire) and those red plastic road barriers, all stamped ‘DUKE’. On the other side of the barrier stood a whole row of police. Most look quite senior and they simply stood there and looked at us.

I got to the front of the barrier where someone had put up a sign that said ‘Welcome to Tel Aviv’. It felt very accurate. The police recognised me and nodded. I asked them, “What is this?” pointing at the razor wire, which has blades on them which can seriously cut you if you get hurled on to them (see close-up pic above). The senior cop there shrugged and gave a wan smile. “This makes me sad,” I said to him. Again he shrugged.

We stood there for a while. Some people started to sing Negara Ku so we all joined in. The senior cop who shrugged at me stood at attention, really the only one who did so. Some people started chanting ‘Bukak, bukak!’ meaning open the barriers. But overall there were high spirits but nothing provocative.

Then suddenly all the cops moved back, away from us. We were puzzled but in a short while we realised why. Several police trucks moved in and headed in our direction. For a moment I wondered if they were simply going to mow us down. Then they retreated again. Next a whole row of police with helmets, batons and shields formed in front of the trucks facing us. Again we wondered if they were going to charge us, which seems silly because they too would have come up against the razor wire.

Someone then told us to sit down. So we did on our side of the barrier while on the other side, about 10 metres away, the police were lined up with their shields and batons. It looked like it was going to be a battle of wills, who would last longer in the heat. We were prepared to sit for the next two hours til 4pm, the appointed dispersal time.

After about 15 minutes sweating behind the razor wire, someone told us to move back and disperse. “We must use our brains. Don’t provoke. It’s time to move back.”  So we moved away from the barriers and milled around the streets, just looking at people. Bumped into more friends and chatted to random people who said hello. It was a nice atmosphere, akin to going to a fun run or something like that.

We then read a Star tweet that said that Ambiga said Bersih 3.0 was already successful and we can all now disperse. So my friends and I made our way back to Brickfields, got into my car and drove home.

It was only after that that we started to get SMSes and tweets regarding teargas at Dataran Merdeka. It was a shock because up til then there was nothing to indicate that the police might do that, even when they brought the ones with the helmets and shields out. We passed many cops on our way home and they hardly looked at us.

My phone was running low on battery and I had to wait til I got home before hearing from my daughter that she had been tear-gassed. She was part of a team video-streaming the events today and was near Dataran Merdeka, stuck among thousands of people, when some people, against Bersih’s instructions, breached the barriers and ran onto the Dataran. The police then started running away from them and soon they saw why: the teargas canisters being fired at them. Her first time being tear-gassed, she said it was awful but people around her were all helping one another. What was more frightening was the fear of being crushed but luckily people were so mindful of this that if anyone fell, they were immediately given space and a hand up. She’s fine though and I never really worried about her because she had a friend with her who was tasked with making sure she was alright.

(Her videos, along with those by others, are now on the Bersih428 YouTube channel).

Since reaching home, I’ve been trying to keep up with the many, many reports on today’s events, both the good and the bad. Yes, there were some people who misbehaved, let’s be honest. We don’t know who they are but in such a large crowd there are bound to be people like that, despite instructions from the Bersih steering committee and marshals not to provoke anyone. There are also very likely agent provocateurs who are out to make trouble and discredit Bersih.

But it doesn’t detract from the fact that an unbelievable number of people turned out today, far more than last year, and compared to the incidents of bad behaviour, there was a far larger number of people who marched and rallied peacefully. I hardly saw anyone with a frown or a scowl but lots of happy smiles. Just like last year, I never once felt unsafe. Instead I felt part of a large Malaysian community, all together for one cause. Or two, since the anti-Lynas people also turned out in huge numbers.

Here’s a report from the UK’s Independent newspaper which is pretty accurate although there were far, far more than 25,000 people there. It was hard to see everybody but it had to be about 50,000-80,000. There are thousands and thousands of photos and videos being uploaded right now. So go take a look and decide for yourself. I also hope people will put up their personal stories too.

I’m sorry that there were people who got injured, both protestors and police. None of that was really necessary. A few weeks ago, at the International Women’s Day rally in PJ, 5,000 people turned up and there was absolutely no violence because the police left everyone alone to do their thing. The same could have happened today, if only the powers-that-be could have been wiser.

One more thing, about those politicians who were there. At Central Market there were some there but they were not allowed to speak. Along the march, if anyone started any chants that sounded political, others wouldn’t take it up and they pretty soon petered out. Like last year, the most popular chants were those that simply said ‘Bersih’ and ‘Hidup Rakyat’. Most were simple ordinary people, who just want to express how they feel and who really have no time for politicians.

Besides, which politician or political party, from any side, can mobilise anything as incredible as Global Bersih? — rantingsbymm.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 10:50 pm and is filed under
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My Bersih 3.0 experience: The day the police became hooligans

 — Christina Foo

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — Dear Editor,

This is the first time I am writing to you because I feel that it is very important for me to give my first-hand experience of the PDRM insanity.

I am in my early 50s and have always been a model citizen. I have never taken part in any previous rally or demonstration. However this year I decided that I needed to support Bersih by being there where it counts.

My friend Lean Bee and I drove from Petaling Jaya into the city but was blocked off at Syed Putra so we decided to drive back to Asia Jaya, parked the car there and took the LRT. The train when it arrived was packed to the brim. That was a good sign that a lot of people were coming. Had expected to be stopped by police at the stations but there were no signs of them. As such we got into the city without any other challenges.

My first question for the PDRM is:

Why block most of the roads if you are still going to let us into the city any way?

Did you ever think about the tourists who needed to get in and out of the city upon arrival and for their departure?

On reaching the city we met up with four other friends — all of whom were first-timers to rally. The oldest in our group is Dorothy who is 72-years-old. The streets were full of people in yellow and green. We ourselves did not dare wear any of those T-shirts for fear of being picked up by the police. The whole atmosphere had a carnival feel to it. There was the singing of songs including “Negara Ku”. Lots of picture taking. Every one seemed to be in such a happy mood.

What surprised me was that there were so many Chinese there. For a long time , we Chinese were in a comfort zone and therefore have always seemed to take a backseat when it came to things like this. As such, it was a pleasant surprise to see so many youngsters and many had their parents with them.

At 12 noon along the way to Dataran we stopped many times to look at the different posters (some were very creative and some funny). At one point, we even stopped under a palm tree to talk to a number of policemen who were taking shelter from the sun. One of them named Nawawi even encouraged us to walk further down to Dataran as in his own words that was “where the action is.” We asked him if they were going to attack us using water cannons and tear gas. He smiled and said that they were not given any instructions to do so. After a bit more conversation with him, we happily took his suggestion to move closer to the “action”.

By now it was 2pm and we made it to the spot where they had barricaded the road with razor wire. What caught my attention was that the PDRM had positioned elderly looking policemen standing in a row behind the barricade. The FRU, trucks and men in sky blue T-shirts were positioned further inside. I thought that this was good as having older policemen there meant that they were not expecting trouble. After taking pictures we decided it was too crowded there and decided to walk back to the Masjid Jamek area.

Second Question: What were you thinking when you barricaded the place like you did? It made me feel very sad as it seemed like we Malaysians are terrorists who are a danger to the police force when in fact nobody there seemed to be carrying any weapons other than the FRU and police.

Meanwhile, all mobile phone lines seemed to be blocked as none of us could call out. However, we could still receive and send text messages. But everyone was still in a jovial mood. There were Malay pak ciks who told us they came all the way from Terengganu using their own money. Some said they were from Kelantan. There was a Chinese family of four from Kuantan who had driven over the night before and had to put up a night at Swiss Garden Hotel. There were supposed to be 20 buses that they had chartered but at the last minute the bus operators told them that they could not do so as they were threatened by the transport andtTourism ministries that their licence would be revoked if they were found to be ferrying people for this cause.

Third Question: Why threaten those who are just trying to do their business which is to provide transportation? After all, the people who want to attend the rally will still find a way to come.

By 3pm, I was answering many text messages sent by friends around the world and I was telling them how good the situation was whereby it felt like a carnival and all the different races had come together for the same cause. Inside, I was secretly feeling a bit sorry for myself for not having attended the previous Bersih 2.0 which was more exciting. But 10 minutes later everything changed. People started shouting “ Turn back, turn back” “Tear gas”. I quickly put on my goggles and I also had an industrial mask. The goggles were great over my spectacles but the mask did not work. My face had a burning sensation and that was when I took out salt to rub on my skin and ate some of it.

I wasn’t sure what to do as my friends and I were separated by now. So I decided to enter a Malay restaurant opposite OCBC bank. There were already many people taking refuge there. Everyone was great. We were all helping each with salt and water. Someone got me a chair to sit on while another was passing out sweets. Meanwhile, outside was like a war zone scene from a movie. So many tear gas canisters were being fired even though the street in front of the restaurant appeared to be empty.

Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, a women’s leader did a short speech to thank the restaurant owner for allowing us to seek refuge there. All of us clapped and cheered her for her sense of wanting to do the right thing for her fellow countrymen.

More tear gas was still being fired and then someone from inside asked the restaurant to pull down its shutters. At 3.30pm there was a loud banging on the shutters from outside. Someone inside shouted “Jangan Buka”. I was wondering if it was people on the street trying to get in. Turned out that it was the police. They had forced opened the shutter. The first policeman who came inside was screaming obscenities at all of us. He proceeded to push the tables and kick the chairs that were around him. That was when I felt really, really terrified. He was walking towards me and he looked like he wanted to harm me. He kept shouting “Keluar! Keluar!” I did not know what to do. Did he want us to go outside so that he could beat us up or put us in a truck?

More Questions:

a) Why did you have to pull open the shutters? Those of us inside are not troublemakers otherwise we would have stayed outside.

b) Why did you behave like a hooligan? Is that your nature or were you under instructions to do so?

c) As a policeman, isn’t it your job to protect us citizens but instead I was fearing for my life when I looked at you coming towards me?

d) What was your purpose of forcing us back onto the street? Did you not want us to be off it?Fortunately, there was a YB Gan around together with her assistants inside the restaurant. They told me to sit tight and wait. Miraculously, the policeman must have recognised the YB because he instantly calmed down and just stood quietly while the YB told all of us to leave by the back entrance and once there, people were helping us to climb through a gap that led to Masjid Jamek where we stayed there for a while.

I think the older ones like us who stayed downstairs got off easily but the younger ones who were resting upstairs did not get a chance to escape and I was told that they were beaten up by the police. I did not see it with my own eyes. Perhaps those who witness it may wish to affirm this.

At 4.20pm, there were a few people in Masjid Jamek who asked all of us to go out. I was still terrified because the FRU was standing in a row blocking the path back to Dataran. I was worried that they would charge at us when we went out but they did not. I quickly went to the Masjid Jamek LRT station but the shutters were down. I couldn’t get in to take the train. Why did they do that if they seriously wanted us to leave the area?

I then proceeded to walk towards Pudu to regroup with my friends who have their own stories to share.

Kudos to the young boys and girls of St John’s Ambulance Malaysia who were handing out free mineral water to us.

This whole incident has made me really hate and distrust the police. Instead of frightening me away from demonstrating, it has instead made me more determined to exercise my rights as a citizen of Malaysia. I love my country but not the way it is being managed. If there is another demonstration I will definitely be there.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 3:27 pm and is filed under
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Our democracy is working

— Darren Nah

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — There were fears that the Bersih rally would not go according to plan. Soon enough, tear gas and water cannons had beaten back the tide of yellow in the nation’s capital. Many, emotionally restive, came back from yet another Bersih rally which seemed ineffectual in holding Putrajaya accountable. As Datuk Ambiga, under the sweltering Saturday sun, failed to call for crowd dispersal, the governmental security apparatus quickly finished off the crowd of peaceful protestors, using less than savoury means.

Nevertheless, the lessons we can take from this gathering are that, amid the slander and libel floating in the air, our democracy is working. We are beginning to see a maturation of the democratic process, the incipient emergence of political awareness, and the competition of ideas. These are all crucial for the proper functioning of the Malaysian project started in 1957. But some argue that such rallies only cause disturbance, hamper stability, and create undue unrest. Let us now comfort this contentious group.

These people fail to realise that the democratic process needs the occasional take-to-the-street protest and the joyous participation of youth. Ever since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Malaysia’s economy has suffered from a lack of innovation, and many of the young have fled to better prospects abroad. The political indifference of the young and the lack of ideas in governing has hampered our democracy. We need a jolt of innovation.

The Bersih rally must be seen as a channel of new ideas of government and economic progress. While the calls for free and fair elections are sacrosanct in any functioning democracy, let us peel back the false accusations and emotionally charged lies, and look at what the concept of free and fair elections actually means.

By having elections that are free and fair, the people are able to reward Putrajaya for what it does right (growth and prosperity, usually) and to punish Putrajaya for its incompetence (stagnation, etc.). It is not so much about getting our favoured political parties in power, but helping (yes, I said ‘helping’) the ruling party to be more competent in ruling this country.

Democracy is nothing but a trade-off between the elites and the governed. The elites stay in power so long as they continue to provide benefits to the governed. The governed punishes the government by voting the ruling elite out.

PAS, DAP and PKR have many interesting ideas (some valid and some academically astonishing) on how Malaysia should be run; but, the expertise of running the complex government machinery belongs to Barisan National. Like all firms that face no competition, however, Barisan National has become an indolent sloth. Civil unrest, represented by Bersih rallies, attempts to wake Putrajaya up to the need to innovate and change.

It is wrong to believe that the Bersih rallies will ‘change the world,’ but it is right to believe that they have motivated a whole slew of the young to want to think better, and participate in politics. Yes, there will be slander in some of the partisan newspapers, but such news outlets report gossip at their peril, and will sooner or later lose accountability. A lie or two will not destroy Malaysia, fear not.

Now, let us climb the ladder of abstraction and see what Bersih also means. All is well! Bersih rally organisers must devise new and innovate ways to make their voices heard without their rallies becoming violent protests (which only helps Putrajaya’s resolve to crack down on them).

On the side of the ruling party, by having a mass group of politically aware youth, Malaysia should be happy. New ideas of how our democracy should be run can only mean a better standard of living and a better economy, which for the most part has been stagnant since 1997.

Competition amongst the political parties, news outlets, Bersih supporters and detractors, young and old, should be encouraged. This will mean people will create organisations and help build a network of crucial support for each other. Also, to foster the competition of ideas, like firms competing for customers, can only mean more democratic innovation and prosperity for the masses. It doesn’t matter if it is Islamic PAS or Chinese MCA, so long as civil society flourishes, it is good!

Barisan National is not the enemy. Barisan National’s guidance has helped Malaysia reach its current state of development. What it needs, however, is a little vigour from the birth of a dynamic, idea-filled, politically motivated Malaysian society. Bersih is only the beginning of better things to come!

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 11:26 am and is filed under
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Police response during BERSIH 3.0 rally disproportionate and excessive   – Malaysian Bar

Christopher Leong

Vice-President

Malaysian Bar

29 April 2012

The Malaysian Bar is appalled at the abuse of the legal process and grotesque use of force by the police in connection with the BERSIH 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, 28 April 2012.

The crowds that had gathered for the BERSIH 3.0 rally reflected a broad cross-section of Malaysian society, and were peaceful.  The police were initially restrained, although they did try to stop people from reaching various pre-announced meeting points.  However, the attitude of the police underwent a sea-change at 3:00 pm that day.  The reported breach of police barricades in some areas does not justify the police unleashing the full force of their arsenal upon crowds that were peaceful.  The police have shown in this incident that they do not have the maturity, discipline and restraint required of a professional force.  In this regard the Malaysian Bar strongly disagrees with the Minister of Home Affairs’ assertion that the police acted professionally.

The court order excluding members of the public from Dataran Merdeka is arguably defective in law due to a lack of specificity.  Given that the BERSIH 3.0 rally had been announced on 4 April 2012, there was no need to have obtained the order ex parte.  There had been ample opportunity for the relevant parties to be heard before deciding if such an order deserved to be issued.  In addition, the order was obtained with respect to a situation of the authorities’ own making, by their unjustifiable denial of access to Dataran Merdeka.  It is important to bear in mind that the Minister of Home Affairs had previously announced that the BERSIH 3.0 rally was not a security threat.

Nonetheless, having obtained the exclusion order, the police proceeded to disrespect the order by unilaterally closing additional roads and restricting access to other areas not covered by its terms. The terms of the order itself, the closing of the roads and the restriction in access gave rise to a tense situation that contributed to the unnecessary violence that occurred.

As has been done with some other public assemblies in the past, the Malaysian Bar deployed lawyers and pupils-in-chambers to act as monitors during the rally, numbering approximately 80. Our monitoring teams reported witnessing the use of an array of heavy-handed tactics by the police, including the indiscriminate discharging of multiple rounds of tear gas without any obvious provocation, and arbitrary use of water cannons.  Police fired tear gas directly at the crowd. They also manoeuvred their firing pattern to box in the participants rather than allowing them to disperse quickly.  This is not action to disperse, but is instead designed to attack, a crowd.  When items were thrown at the police, the police stooped to return like for like.

The Malaysian Bar does not countenance the belligerent conduct shown by a number of the participants.  However, we express deep and serious concern as to how the police responded. The police displayed a lack of restraint and proportionality, reminiscent of their actions at the BERSIH 2.0 rally on 9 July 2011.  Instead of displaying action to calm the situation, they instead aggravated it and contributed to the escalation of the conflict.  Although organisers of public gatherings must bear some responsibility when things get out of hand due to their action or inaction, this does not and cannot excuse the response of the police.

The monitoring teams also witnessed numerous acts of police brutality, such as assault of arrested persons.  Instead of merely apprehending suspects, the attitude of the police was punitive in nature.  The reported attacks by the police on members of the media, both local and international, and the confiscation and/or destruction of their photographs and video recordings, speaks to police action in covering up or preventing a full and accurate record of the BERSIH 3.0 rally and the responses of the police.

Regrettably, the police also showed a general lack of cooperation towards the Malaysian Bar’s monitoring teams, and were hostile in their attitude and approach at times.  This is most unprofessional and unbecoming, and serves as an unhealthy development with negative connotations for the future.

The Malaysian Bar notes that yesterday’s events have not occurred in isolation, but stem from the fundamental problems that gave rise to the BERSIH 3.0 rally in the first place, namely the ongoing and outstanding issues relating to the electoral roll, and the lack of confidence in its integrity and that of the electoral process in Malaysia.

Those who look upon Dataran Merdeka as a symbol of freedom will view the exclusion from Dataran Merdeka as freedom denied.  The promise by the Government to respect democracy and human rights, and implement reforms, was tested yesterday.  The Government’s response and actions during the BERSIH 3.0 rally provided an indication of whether the new reform legislation will be perverted and abused in its use and implementation, where the wide powers vested in the authorities call for measured, proportionate and mature exercise.  The events of 28 April 2012 do not bode well in this regard.

Transformation and real recognition of democratic rights come at a price, namely constant vigilance.  The cost of not transforming and not allowing Malaysians the proper exercise of our democratic rights is too high.  In Malaysia’s march towards developed nation status by 2020, which is only eight years away, the constitutional right to clean, free and fair elections cannot and should not be sacrificed.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 3:39 pm and is filed under
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The Bersih 3.0 rally

 – Hussaini Abdul Karim

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 28, 2012

APRIl 28 – What caught my attention first the moment I alighted from the LRT train at Pasar Seni at about 1.45pm today was the generally young, enthusiastic and innocent looking crowd of about 100,000 people and all of them spotted a happy look and with a lot of hope in their mind, the same thing I have.

We were walking slowly towards the direction of Dataran Merdeka and I saw thousands of people mostly dressed in Bersih 3.0 T-shirts and with some dressed in green. Along the way was a young man working vigorously handing out free bottles of mineral water. Everyone shouted slogans such as, ‘REFORMASI’, ‘BERSIH’, ‘WE WANT FAIR ELECTIONS’ and so on.

Upon reaching Jalan Lekiu near the Loke Yew Building, there was a police roadblock manned by at least 100 men. That was the closest the crowd, including me, got to Dataran Merdeka. I believe, all the other entrances were similarly blocked and no one could enter Dataran Merdeka.

This time, I notice, the police and the authorities, being very well prepared won hands down.

Bersih 3.0 had no answer for the police preparedness and I was very disappointed with Bersih3.0 organisers for not being prepared and, I believe, took things for granted. First and foremost, there was no communication between the organisers and the people which I thought is something that can be very simply organised.

Just get Bersih 3.0 agents and station them at all the entrances to Dataran Merdeka equipped with walkie-talkies and inform them what to do next. They then can broadcast them or announce them to the crowd in the respective areas. That way, the crowd will know what to do rather than leaving all of them, including me, not knowing at all what’s going to happen. It was a big opportunity that the Bersih 3.0 organisers had wasted. As early as 2.15pm, I saw people leaving already and many headed towards the nearest LRT station.

I left later and at about 2.45pm, I arrived at the Masjid Jamek LRT Station and there was already a large crowd there waiting on either side of the platform. At least five trains arrived on either side of the platform passed but none stopped and the people were getting edgy and uncomfortable and many shouted ‘vulgarities’ every time a train passed but did not stop.

I decided to ask some RAPID KL’s auxiliary policemen on duty there and none of them knew what was happening. When I asked if they any telephone number that I could use to call their supervisors or officers they told me that they didn’t have any. Later, I got a number from one of them who told me I could try to call their operations office. I tried a couple of times but there was no answer. He did not have any other numbers to give me.

After that, one of them told me to go to the station’s office on the top floor and look for a supervisor or an officer to inquire. I did but as soon as I got to that level, I didn’t see any people manning the station. Almost at the same time, someone threw a canister of tear gas which caused a lot of commotion.

Was this planned?

If there was any intention not to allow trains to stop at Masjid Jamek Station, the operator of the LRT should place a notice to prevent people from entering but that was not done and people continued to purchase tickets and the crowd numbers accumulated so much so that the station was full of people, at the top level and at the level where they were to board the trains. It was then that the tear gas was thrown and got people running helter-skelter.

I did not see any reason why the police must do that as there was no violence at all. What the police did was very cruel, at the least, and if that was something that the police had arranged, then, they should be charged for causing hurt to the public.

There were some good Samaritans among the crowd and they had water and salt to offer those who were affected by the tear gas. I was given some to ease the discomfort and pain from the tear gas and surprisingly, it worked.

The Bersih 3.0 rally and the incident at Masjid Jamek LRT Station made many of the people angry and I could see tempers rising and a couple of ‘would-be’ fights but luckily, they were all thwarted by others who did not want to see any violence happening and concerned about maintaining peace.

I finally left at about 3.45pm, disappointed, angry and frustrated.

P.S. There were actually many tear gas canisters thrown at Masjid Jamek by the police and I was one of the people in the crowd who was badly hurt.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 12:42 am and is filed under
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The real Bersih 3.0

— Gomen Man

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — A word of caution to the people who run Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider: there is an operation by paid hacks to flood your portals with seemingly “constructive” opinions about Bersih 3.0 and how this event was hijacked by Anwar Ibrahim, blah blah.

Some will even write how Malaysia’s democracy is truly alive and how Barisan Nasional is not the enemy.

Let us get some facts straight. More than 100,000 Malaysians from all walks of life turned out yesterday to call for free and fair elections. Old, young, rich, poor, the works.

Among them were supporters of political parties, and within this group were those who were probably itching for some action. The large majority of Malaysians dispersed and were shocked when tear gas canisters were aimed at them without any provocation.

Was this the strategy of hidden hands?

I don’t know but it does seem odd when the FRU fires tear gas at people who are going home or whose path to public transportation has been blocked off. The fact The Star and NST are showing only pictures of the overturned police car should tell you volumes of the hidden hands.

The vast majority came to show solidarity with those calling for free elections. These people understand that MALAYSIA IS NOT A WORKING DEMOCRACY when the foundation of any democracy — elections — is being subverted through the padding up of the electoral roll. And now we learn that the two most senior members of the Election Commission are Umno members.

That is like telling me that the gatekeepers of the country’s treasury are members of a gang of thieves. As long as the value of the vote is diminished through cheating and the award of identification documents to migrant workers, Malaysia cannot be a working democracy.

I would imagine that many of those who turned up yesterday are against corruption, cronyism, abuse of power, demonisation of religions, narrowing of space for freedom of worship, lack of judicial independence, etc.

If Barisan Nasional stands for all the above and defends the status quo, is it still correct to say that “Barisan Nasional is not the enemy” ?

In the days ahead, there will be a campaign of spin by the government. But those who attended Bersih 3.0 know why they attended and that tremendous feeling of solidarity.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 1:50 pm and is filed under
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Was it worth it?

— Tan Zhong Yan

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — I was there together with my dad and his friends. We entered Kuala Lumpur the night before the historical day and stayed in a hotel somewhere in Pudu as we were afraid we might not be able to get in into Kuala Lumpur on the day itself.

The next morning, April 28, we went to have breakfast in one of the coffee shops nearby. From there, everything started. It looked like most of the people having breakfast in that coffee shop were going for the sit-in demonstration, just like us.

We started to greet one another, chatting and taking photos like we knew each other. After that, from Pudu, we headed for Jalan Sultan and then towards Dataran Merdeka. The crowd got bigger and bigger as we walked. Slogans were chanted, but not in a tense manner, as slogans were always followed by laughter.

Many of my friends asked why I wanted to go and “waste” my time there, as I’ll be having my exams in less than two weeks’ time, and the fact that the government might not even care and listen to us. There is also a great risk that I might be arrested or fired upon with tear gas and water cannons.

I just would like to say that it’s not whether the government listens to us or not, but what we as Malaysians have done for our country. All of us, or at least most of us, feel that there are problems with our electoral system.

The term “phantom voters” is not something that is unfamiliar to us anymore. We criticise the government here and there every day, from Facebook to coffee shops, but we never take any action to improve it.

Of course, I agree that taking the matter to the streets may not be a good thing, but that is the only way left to us and it is the clearest way to convey our message to the government that we are taking it seriously and that we want clean, free and fair elections!

 For me, it’s totally not a waste of time if, by doing so, reforms can be achieved. Even if they are not, it is still worth it as I think we had successfully conveyed our message to the government. I had actually not wasted or lost anything, but I eventually gained a lot from that.

I am a first year law student and Public Law is one of my subjects. In Public Law, I study about constitutional law, the rule of law, separation of powers, electoral system, civil liberties, etc. And as I said, my exams are in less than two weeks’ time.

By participating in Bersih 3.0, I actually learned a lot and it is sort of a quick revision for me, revising the whole subject of Public Law in just a day or perhaps just a few hours, which I have studied for a year. I even jokingly told my friends that I’m there applying what I have studied, as practical application is very important for us as law students.

One thing that I have realised from the demonstration is that theory is always different from practice. It’s quite disappointing as what is stated in those thick textbooks of mine seem to be not applicable in real life or maybe in Malaysia. But, of course, looking from the bright sight, it is good that I realised all this now.

Another thing I gained is that I saw and felt the love and unity among Malaysians. Race, religion, gender and age are not at all barriers for us. The moment where everyone sang the national anthem “Negaraku” together, my tears nearly flowed.

I never felt this before, although I have sung “Negaraku” for so many years, especially when I was in school.

It is, of course, regrettable that violence occurred during the demonstration. We should condemn the protestors and police who acted violently in the peaceful event.

We should stop all the violence and together make this beloved country into a civilised, democratic country.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 10:34 pm and is filed under
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Why I had to be there on 28.4.2012

— Daniel S. Abishegam

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 29, 2012

APRIL 29 — I was there. Together with my fiancé, and a couple of friends, I made my way to Kuala Lumpur early on the morning of April 28, 2012. We were at Central Market waiting for Bersih co-chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan to give us a rousing speech and to lead the march towards Dataran Merdeka to show the government of Malaysia that we really want clean and fair elections and that the system currently in place falls woefully short.

The carnival-like atmosphere was apparent from the moment we got there. I can only speak for the group of us at Central Market but I am reliably informed that the atmosphere was similar at the other meeting points as well. Old friends exchanged stories, new friendships were forged and drinks, food and ice cream were the order of the day.

At about 1.40pm, we began our march to Dataran Merdeka. The march itself was peaceful. There was much laughter and camaraderie in the air. The atmosphere sizzled not only from the mid-day heat but from the palpable sense that we were making a difference. The size of the crowd from Central Market alone was roughly about 20,000. We were bursting into song and chants at regular intervals. Smiles and good wishes were the order of the day. There was nothing that I saw in this crowd and from the larger group we joined later that would indicate to me that any one of these protesters harboured thoughts of anything but a peaceful protest.

But the question thrown at me from all angles and from all manner of people is why? Why go and join this bunch of ‘hooligans’ who have nothing better to do on a Saturday afternoon than to cause a massive traffic jam? Why bother because the government will not listen? What if you were arrested? Who will take care of your dog?

This little note is the result of a lot of thinking and self-evaluation. Why did I do it? And the answer dawned on me. It was as plain as can be.

I teach for a living and I teach undergraduate law. One of my areas of research and expertise is constitutional law. How could I step into class and lecture about the virtues of the separation of powers and the rule of law when I didn’t do anything about the fact the chief and deputy of the Election Commission in Malaysia are members of the ruling party Umno.

How will my students take me seriously when I wax lyrical about how justice must not only be done but that it must be seen to be done and when faced with blatant examples of justice not being done much less be seen as done and I didn’t say anything about it.

How will I endure the guilt of explaining the virtues of an electoral system that is good and point out the shortcomings of a system halfway across the world when the electoral system in my home country is flawed and I choose to be silent about it?

How will I ever say the words “today we will be learning about civil liberties and the protection of these rights” and when faced with a blatant attempt to restrict my right to speech and to assemble I cowered in fear. Ultimately, how could I ever again say that the constitution is the highest law of the land when the provisions in the constitution of my country that provide for these civil liberties are ignored by parliamentary enactments and the courts do not uphold the constitution?

So you may have by now come to the conclusion that I did it for selfish reasons and I would agree. I did it because I need to sleep at night with a clear conscience. I did it because I need to show a whole bunch of potential lawyers that these words in their textbooks and notes actually mean something. I did it because it was the right thing to do.

To those who felt that our decision to participate was silly and lacking in rationality, you are entitled to that opinion. That’s the beauty of civil liberties. It applies to everyone regardless of creed or colour. And if you feel that your Saturday was ruined by our actions, I can only hope that you will one day see that having a free and fair electoral system is a win-win situation all around. The government must never instil in our hearts a sense that we owe them something. They owe us their position in power and they should behave that way.

For the at least 100,000 people who gathered around the vicinity today (and let no one tell you this number was any fewer than that), I thank you for the opportunity to participate in this historic event in a peaceful atmosphere of fun and laughter yet one that did not detract from the seriousness of the objectives to be achieved. I know of friends who stayed back and picked up rubbish after the event. I know of lawyers who were threatened with physical harm trying to document the events of the day. I saw many of my students who despite having exams in about two weeks’ time took time off to show that they will not be silenced. I salute you all.

Why did I participate? I simply had no choice!

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 April 2012, 11:16 am and is filed under
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A general over a hesitant army

— Ooi Kee Beng

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

APRIL 30 — And so the third Bersih rally has taken place. It cannot be understood in isolation from the political dynamics of the last few years.

The demonstration itself went well, with tens of thousands of Malaysians taking to the streets, many dressed in the yellow T-shirt that has come to signify the nationwide demand for electoral reforms.

No violence had occurred by the time the organisers, led by former Bar Council chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan, told demonstrators at around 2pm to disperse, having achieved the show of strength the movement had wished for to back its call to Prime Minister Najib Razak to ensure that the coming general election would be free and fair.

Exactly how violence between the riot police and demonstrators began is not clear. Rumours that agent provocateurs were responsible have been spreading.

Whatever the case, the huge April 28 demonstration poses a serious challenge to the Barisan Nasional government, especially since the event received big support from similar rallies held simultaneously throughout the country and by Malaysians in dozens of cities throughout the world.

TAKING HIS TIME

As the Bersih movement developed from being an initiative thought up by opposition parties in mid-2005 to a civil-society organisation come July last year, the government has, for the most part, played a reactive role.

Since taking power in April 2009, Najib has initiated many reforms — the most noteworthy being the recent repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) of 1960 that had allowed for unlimited detention without trial.

His personal popularity grew impressively as a result but, strangely, without the coalition that he leads gaining much from it.

The problem for him is one of credibility. His predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was correctly advised in 2005 when he formed an independent commission to help him reform the police establishment. The hopes he raised then were dashed when he had to beat a retreat on that initiative and on many of his reforms.

Najib learned from this and took his time to work out reforms that could be carried out. He avoided using the ISA during his time in power, but he also avoided trying to reform the police.

The end result of his premiership is somewhat mixed. Not only did his reforms not go far enough and not only did they come a little late, he could not convince voters that his coalition was behind him. He became a general over a hesitant army.

It is given the complete absence of police reforms that the violence involving the police in Bersih 2.0 and Bersih 3.0 is most significant.

The question being asked is: if the executive is not reformed, then what significant good will the repeal of old laws bring?

POINTS FOR EFFORT, NOT EFFECT

Sadly, Najib has been allowing the right wing of his party to be actively and publicly provocative on issues of religion and race — something that has undermined his concept of 1 Malaysia.

This is even as major allies such as the Malaysian Chinese Association, the Malaysian Indian Congress and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia have failed to carry out any noteworthy ideological or strategic changes that could win back votes for them.

It explains why Najib is gaining points for effort, but not for effect. He is indeed caught between a rock — his party hardliners, who seem to include his own deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin — and a hard place — the obvious need for reforms.

All this looms against a backdrop of budgetary issues, made worse by his inability to reduce subsidies and to implement goods and services taxes, and by the generous handouts to woo voters.

In short, what has been unfolding in Malaysia over the last few years is actually a race between, on one side, a government run by a prime minister trying to win back votes without tweaking the establishment too radically, and who has thus been pulling punches where his reforms are concerned; and on the other, an opposition that is trying to rouse the population — particularly first-time voters — to political engagement.

VIOLENCE DID NEITHER SIDE GOOD

The opposition’s best bet to win federal power is for it to fuel the sense of empowerment among young and not-so-young Malaysians.

Rallies like Bersih 3.0 are effective tools in that context. And the more peacefully such demonstrations are carried out, the more political activism will be generated.

In light of this, the violence on Saturday was unexpected and did no good for either side.

No doubt, Najib has had to move carefully in formulating his reform measures, especially given the weakness of his own political position. But he is certainly running out of time.

And should he fail to gain ground for the Barisan Nasional in the 13th general election, that number might well prove to be an unlucky one for him. — Today

* The writer is the deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 9:48 am and is filed under
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Bersih 3.0: BN accountable for police brutality

 — Tommy Thomas

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

APRIL 30 — When a government uses the police to tear gas, fire water cannons and physically intimidate large numbers of its people, it loses its moral legitimacy to continue governing. A repressive government does not deserve to rule. Barisan National’s brutal handling of Bersih 3.0’s proposed sit-in on Saturday, April 28 crossed the tipping point of acceptable behaviour, and the people of Malaysia must, by a large majority, punish it at the next general election. The Najib administration has forfeited any moral right to govern Malaysia!

The barricading of Dataran Merdeka

Is it not an irony of the highest degree that a place in central Kuala Lumpur that bears the name “Merdeka” is closed to its people? Much of the disinformation that emanates from our highly controlled mass media stated that the government had offered Stadium Merdeka and other stadiums to Bersih, which “unreasonably” turned them down, and “stubbornly” insisted on Dataran Merdeka. From the civil liberties perspective, such government propaganda misses the whole point. Freedom of assembly, association and expression belong to the people. They decide to exercise such freedoms at places and times of their choosing. In all the places in Malaysia outside Kuala Lumpur, venues chosen by Bersih were accepted by the authorities — all these rallies occurred without incident. Likewise, in the 80 cities across the globe, events organised by Global Bersih were held at venues chosen by the organisers, and were also held peacefully.

Why should an unelected, unaccountable civil servant called the Datuk Bandar order thousands of Malaysians not to congregate at the Padang where Merdeka was proclaimed some 55 years ago. Who is he to deny us our fundamental freedom entrenched in the Constitution? The best argument for the return of local government elections is the wholly unacceptable behaviour of the Datuk Bandar last week.

Further, what gave the police the right to put up barbed-wire barricades around the Dataran?
 The order given by the magistrate (whatever its lawfulness may be!) did not extend to the use of barricades. If the action of the police was illegal, surely people were entitled to breach the barricades, and enter the Padang. Dataran Merdeka does not belong to the government, Datuk Bandar or the police. It belongs to the people.

Hence, my first criticism of the government’s handling of what was intended by Bersih to be a sit-in was the irrational and unjustified denial of Dataran Merdeka for that purpose. If the sit-in on Dataran Merdeka had been permitted, no incident would have occurred, and it would have proceeded smoothly and peacefully, as happened everywhere else in the world.

“Sit-in” turned into “walk”

With friends, I arrived at Masjid Negara at about 11.30am on Saturday. The barricades were placed about 200 metres from the masjid (and, thus, about 600 metres from the Dataran). Speeches were given by politicians, which could not be heard. We stayed outside the masjid until about 1.45pm when the procession to Dataran started. Thousands of people thronged the streets. It was joyful, with a carnival or picnic atmosphere. Slogans were chanted, and the camaraderie among the marchers was fantastic. People of all walks of life were present. Malaysians, irrespective of race, religion, colour, class, gender and age, were amply represented. It was a microcosm of the general population.

When we reached Jalan Tun Perak at the Maybank end, the crowd was absolutely massive. Seas of yellow were everywhere. This would have been about 2.30pm. Speeches were given at the steps of Maybank, but again nothing could be heard. We followed the crowd on Tun Perak, hoping to reach the barricades at the top of the road, but sheer numbers of people did not allow for that. So we turned into Lebuh Ampang. At about 3pm, while on Lebuh Ampang, we saw smoke from tear gas which apparently had been shot over Jalan Tun Perak. We ran into a restaurant to take cover. A few minutes later, I left the restaurant. At that moment tear gas was fired into Lebuh Ampang. I ran back into the restaurant, whose staff immediately brought down the shutters. About 15 minutes later, we left the restaurant through a back door, and left the area. One could still smell tear gas in the entire vicinity.

Along the way home, we spoke to numerous members of the public and observers from the Bar Council. They were unanimous in their conclusion that tear gas had been fired for no reason, and without warning. It was as if the police had quotas of tear gas canisters to be finished, so that new stock could be purchased this week. After all, it is not their money!

Many comments were expressed during our walk that the government was using our (taxpayers’) money to bully and intimidate us. The use of helicopters hovering at low heights, the massive deployment of the police, and the use of tear gas and water cannons were all paid for by taxpayers. Here was the police turning their arms, paid for by us, on us. Insult to injury!

The critical observation to make is that as a result of government’s prevention of the planned sit-in, hundreds of thousands of people converging from numerous roads into the barricaded Dataran were stopped from entering it. Before the crowds could depart by walking on roads already absolutely packed with thousands of people, tear gas was fired, causing injury, panic and stampede.

Alleged violence

Spin-doctors went into over-drive after the event to highlight the alleged violence against policemen and their property. The oldest trick in the book, employed for centuries by police and law enforcement agencies globally, when trying to control crowds in large rallies, marches, etc is to use police operatives in plain or unidentified clothes to work as agent provocateurs to start trouble. Unless an independent, credible organisation reviews all the evidence, and makes a finding that the Bersih marchers were actually responsible for causing violence, I am not prepared to accept the police version. In any event, one must also consider their provocation and intimidation that resulted in such behaviour. The entire context must be taken into account.

It was clear to me after spending more than five hours on the streets last Saturday that those who walked were absolutely peace-loving, and opposed to any physical action, let alone violence. Bersih is a genuine people’s movement, a bottom-up manifestation which has struck a chord among millions of Malaysians. The government’s demonisation of Ambiga Sreenevasan unjustifiably personalises a movement which cannot be stopped, regardless of the wishes of its leaders. Bersih has a dynamic life of its own. Thus, if a referendum is held in Malaysia today on the single question: “whether the voter supports Bersih’s campaign for free and fair elections”, an overwhelming majority of Malaysians would say yes.

Likewise, the much repeated statement that the Pakatan opposition parties have hijacked Bersih for their own selfish political purposes is not supported by the facts. Admittedly, thousands of Pakatan marchers walked the streets on Saturday. They were noisy, boisterous and loud in the support of their leaders. That only represents a partial truth. An equal, or perhaps larger numbers of persons walked, not because they support Pakatan, but because they are totally disgusted by the Election Commission. If Pakatan benefits electorally by securing the votes of this large group of persons, Barisan Nasional and its proxy, the Election Commission, only have themselves to blame. They are the authors of their own misfortune. The latest revelation that the chairman and deputy chairman of Election Commission are members of Umno merely confirms why they have never been neutral in the discharge of their duties.

General election

Although Bersih was the organiser of this highly successful walk in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, I suggest that the causes which propelled the majority of protestors to walk were not limited to just having a free and fair election. Conversing with scores of fellow protestors, I got the distinct impression that Bersih is just the final straw, the tipping point. The underlying causes of grave unhappiness among Malaysians include a profound sense of injustice, rampant corruption which (like cancer) is killing the vital institutions of the nation, inflation, growing disparity between the rich and the poor, excessive development (Lynas), unregulated immigration, increase in crime, breakdown of law and order, and so forth. Bersih was merely the catalyst for action.

From my vantage point, about 100,000 people attended the rally in Kuala Lumpur. According to Bersih, which had the benefit of observers in all the areas of Kuala Lumpur where the crowds converged, it was as large as 250,000 people. By any yardstick, this was a fantastic turnout, and Bersih must be congratulated for a grand job. A special tribute to brave and cool Ambiga, as the very acceptable face of Bersih.

A mark of its success is that Najib will not be rushing to call elections. Damage control will take months. Meanwhile, the hundreds of thousands of protestors in Malaysia and elsewhere — apparently 80 places, including Mount Everest, celebrated Bersih on Saturday afternoon — must spread the word about the unfairness of our electoral system, and the determination of Barisan Nasional to win at all costs, regardless of means.  The heavy-handed treatment of Bersih marchers on April 28 must be the springboard from which a nationwide movement must be launched to end 55 years of continuous, unbroken one party rule at the ballot box. The time for change is now!

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 6:02 pm and is filed under
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Bersih 3.0: My side of the story

By Adam Tan

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 30, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — Before telling my story, I would first like to clarify where I stand. I stand as a Malaysian, I stand as an individual who believes that Malaysia is a beautiful place, and deserves good governance.

I joined the Bersih 3.0 rall, not only to champion for free and fair elections. I joined the rally to lend support to many fellow countrymen who believe Malaysia deserves good governance. I joined the rally because I believe that, as an individual, I can make a difference. I joined the rally because I am Malaysian.

There, I joined the rally. Should any of you find it offensive, go read something else.

By now, you should have already read the news and will most likely be talking about it over the coming weeks, and have your stories to tell. Glad to have walked with you along Jalan Tun Perak, and glad to have ran with you along Jalan Raja Laut.

This is my story.

Almost at every turn, you can see the colour yellow. Yellow from Kelana Jaya LRT station, all the way to where I started walking, Pasar Seni LRT Station. You can feel the carnival-like atmosphere and the odd feeling of the streets of Kuala Lumpur being devoid of any cars or motorcycles.

The streets were painted yellow, with many colours in between. There were police personnel standing, watching from a distance under the scorching sun, and there were the rakyat, walking together as strangers united, albeit temporarily. Many roads were barricaded, forcing the public to walk at controlled zones.

The FRU was not around.

I soon made my way to Jalan Tun Perak where I believe most of the demonstrators were. The crowd was unbelievable. It was deafening, and chants were immediately overheard. I walked pass the Kuala Lumpur High Court, and finally saw Merdeka Square. There, the FRU trucks parked. It was a very colourful sight.

There was the yellow, blue and red from afar and all seems peaceful.

I managed to find a comfortable spot at Jalan Raja, and stood a comfortable 50m away from the barricade, with enough space for people to walk. There I sat.

The sun was burning away my skin as I drink from the bottle I had with me. Every passing cloud was such a relief, and any wind that blew felt like air-conditioning. It was 2.00pm and everything went fine and peaceful.

There were chants, speeches and shouts that one expects from a demonstration. There was no violent pushing, only people trying to get through the crowd. There were no taunts, provocation or arguments, only people trying to get the message across. Please know the difference.

I stood to look around, because quite frankly, the tarmac was too hot to have a seat for too long.

Suddenly, it all went chaotic.

I was standing quite close to the barricade, and I can see the police running back. As if by a signal, all of them fell back to the FRU units who were ready with their riot shields, tear gas and water cannons.

The people broke the barricade and charged. I stood there still shocked and worried because I start to see the water cannons in action. I was pushed to the front and, as I walked closer, smoke started to rise in front of me. The wind was working against the FRU, so the people marched on.

The water cannons then moved, and push the crowd back. We, the people, ran back to Jalan Raja and as I was running back, three canisters of tear gas flew over my head, and landed in front of me. While the wind direction did not change, it now blew towards the crowd, and I was not spared. I took a deep breath, and made a run. I had to run past the tear gas, because hot on my trail is the FRU with the water cannons.

My eyes burnt, my skin burnt, my nose and throat burnt. The sharp and stinging sensation was very difficult to bear, but it wasn’t the time to think about it.

With my eyes half open, I ran to the side and had to jump over a fence. Throughout the entire run, I had to force myself to breathe, as difficult as it was, I needed to breathe.

This is what I saw. I saw people falling all over the place, with some falling behind the fence. I saw faces of people gasping for air. I saw the faces of people drenched with their own tears. I saw the noses, flowing like a tap.

I saw strangers, helping each other out. I saw strangers offering water and salt. As I ran to a small lane, I took a rest, and helped others as they ran into the lane, seeking refuge. There were people coughing, choking and some even passing out. It was chaotic, but at the same time it was inspiring to see complete strangers, quickly becoming friends.

The lane was a refuge only for a little while. More demonstrators poured in to the little lane, and then it was gassed. We made a run, careful not to tire ourselves too quickly.

I made it out to Jalan Raja Laut, right in front of DBKL. In the building, behind the glass doors were DBKL personnel, standing and watching as the demonstrators struggled to keep up.

Salt and water was still being offered. Some of the barricades were toppled over to spill precious water out. It was overwhelming to see how help was freely given at such a time like this.

Being quite far from Merdeka Square, I thought I was safe. I thought wrong. We were being hunted down, and were then gassed for the third time. I sought refuge in a small ATM room, which honestly smelt like vomit.

It’s a choice I had to make, and I held my breath for as long as I could. I can’t stand the smell anymore and made it out, and immediately felt the stinging sensation from the tear gas. It was slight, but I did not want to risk it anymore.

I ran past to the rear of DBKL and saw a bunch of policemen running towards me. I then made my way to Jalan Parlimen with some help from my friends, walking alongside the police. I believe they won’t get gassed, so I felt relatively safe. They were friendly, and were not provocative.

Nothing much happened to me after that as I sat down on a bridge over Sungai Gombak, munching down on some Tiger biscuits that I brought with me. I could still hear tear gas being fired along Jalan Tun Perak.

I heard stories from friends stuck in Masjid Jamek, along Jalan Tun Perak, but I can’t say much of it, since I wasn’t there.

Before ending my story, here’s what I want to share about how it got chaotic. What I saw was the police suddenly falling back, and then the crowd pushed forward. What I experienced was being chased by FRU who are supposed to protect Merdeka Square and disperse any that got too close to it.

There are reports saying that the crowd tore through the barricade, which caused the police to fall back, and FRU sprung in motion. However you look at it, I believe it was wrong for the demonstrators to lose sight of what they are here for.

The majority of Bersih 3.0 knew and understood that violence must be avoided at all cost. I also believe that the big majority of the Bersih 3.0 supporters disagreed with the actions of a small group of angry protestors that crossed the line.

Violence from a small group of protestors marred the otherwise peaceful demonstration. The FRU played a cat-and-mouse game, gassing the demonstrators more than necessary. I will not comment further on what I have heard from my fellow friends that were splintered off during the chaos.

I believe, as mature citizens of Malaysia, we have to stand for what we believe in lest we have nothing left to stand for, and we must never lose sight and focus from that we believe in.

Always remember, violence is not the answer, and I believe that the massive majority of Bersih 3.0 supporters never intended it to be violent.

I know that there are reports of undercover thugs being placed to create chaos and to damage the credibility of Bersih 3.0. I also know that there are reports of undercover thugs purposely damaging the police vehicle, which ended up hitting the demonstrators.

I urge all responsible Malaysians not to draw up conclusions based on emotions. Investigate, if you must, and by all means, find the truth.

I also believe that as responsible Malaysians, we have to be fair in reporting what we saw and experienced, to cast a fair light on both sides of the divide, and to avoid misleading others into drawing the wrong conclusion of either side.

I will go again, if the purpose of the demonstration is right. Why? Because I care enough. Because this is my land. Because I want to make a difference. Because I am Malaysian.

I believe some of you might disagree with what I shared. Good. Now go write your story. Let’s agree to disagree.

P/S: Oh and by the way, I am totally against the FRU tear-gassing the peaceful demonstrators more than necessary.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 April 2012, 11:56 pm and is filed under
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