Bersih 2.0 came and went but the spirits of the rakyat lingers on.

I wish i was there standing among the tens of thousands of our people, standing up to what we believed in but regrettably i wasn’t there. I think it was for the better, for if i was there the boyfriend would have to worry about me and constantly taking care of me instead of marching on in gusto with the public.

I’m beaming with pride because the boyfriend had the guts and determination to join the march even when he had to head to the office to do his job first and missed most of the action. As a consolation his “job” did contribute to the cause in some way which i don’t want to risk revealing, so i said to him “It’s ok you did your part already. That’s way better than many, many people”. In the end it doesn’t matter if you were in the thick of the action or not, but it’s whether you showed up and showed your support that matters.

I’m not very politically inclined. Heck i if you asked me which political party is which or which current minister is which, i would most probably scratch my head and give you the wrong answer. But i do know that this is supposed to be a democratic country and we, the people are suppose to have the freedom to voice their beliefs let alone the freedom to have a clean election.

Bersih is about these 8 things:

Clean the electoral roll
Reform postal ballot
Use of indelible ink
Minimum 21 days campaign period
Free and fair access to media
Strengthen public institutions
Stop corruption
Stop dirty politics

It is for these reasons alone i sat in front of my laptop on 9th July, adrenaline pumping, constantly looking for live updates of the rally and cheered on.
 

Many had misconception towards Bersih 2.0. Sure the oppositions might have hidden agendas but does it really matter? This is a peaceful march and it’s a march to show that the power lies in the rakyat as it should always be in a democratic country. The rally doesn’t support the opposition and doesn’t lean to any political party, it’s just the voice of the public demanding what they deserve, a clean election for the country. I do not see anything wrong in that.

It’s funny when all of these were going on, there are people worrying and complaining which road was blocked so they could head out shopping. Well, perhaps this is not for everybody.

I didn’t know i could be so patriotic in the past… and that many Malaysians especially those working or studying aboard could be so patriotic but right now i could say i love my country a little bit more. It’s very heartwarming to read and listen to other people’s (who participated in Bersih 2.0) account of what they experienced that day. In the midst of havoc – tear gas, water cannon and police/FRU clamping down on the people, most of them had great stories of racial unity to share. It is truly inspiring.

There were people of every race taking care of each other and supporting each other. If this is not 1Malaysia, nothing is. The boyfriend recounted meeting a Malay pakcik and they looked out for each other during the walk and the many people buying mineral water at the convenient store where the owner asked for just RM1 payment because he was a supporter. One of the participant of the walk said “Bayar dulu, bayar dulu. Kita bersih!” and everyone paid. There were no looting, no vandalizing and no arguments. This is what i call a peaceful rally.

Even though the boyfriend was a bit late but in his own words “It was awesome!”. He walked from his office to KLCC but the lrt was shut down so he walked all the way to Masjid Jamek and joins the crowd. From there onward they walked to Dang Wangi and Jalan Ampang and stopped at KLCC. It was pouring by then and standing there with all the people from all types of races and ethnic background, they sang Negaraku. I could only imagine how euphoric it could have been.

I choose not to believe in mainstream media because it was a choice between believing in what they want us to believe in or believing in the actual accounts of the event from family and immediate friends. It is an easy choice to make. I think i might not watch the news on TV ever again after this.

You know i do not know how successful was the demonstration in freeing our electoral roll but i do know one thing, it has awaken the patriotism in many Malaysians. Many who didn’t care if they voted or not in the past GE had actually registered themselves as voters. The next GE is going to be an extremely exciting one.

Here’s an inspiring text i stumbled upon in a blog. This is what democracy is about.
 

“… we need to understand the roots of a democratic society and how participation by the people actually operate. First of all, the whole idea of voting out a corrupted government (given that the next option may not be entirely better) is mainly to remind the people once more where true power lies: us. For so long, the government has twisted the principles of democracy, deluding people to think that we are to be servile to the government, when it should be the other way round. The hegemony of this very same government has been prolonged too far into our time, when their lies have betrayed the people. An electoral system is to renew in the people the power that they always have on the government. What this means is simple, that no matter what political ideals you hold, the concept of a serving government should never be compromised. And it is currently being compromised at such.

If you feel so strongly against this government, you should vote them out not because you feel that the opposition could do better (indeed maybe they won’t) but that this government has failed. There has been too much false fear among us that we are not permitted to snap the government into knowing where their true position really lie in society. This current government is too comfortable with where they are. A show of defiance is dire to stop them or any impending government from inheriting this deplorable ideal.

You may say that whoever comes to power after would be worse, but again, thats not where absolute power lies. The dichotomy between gov and opp is wholly decided by you, your family, your friends and this vast extension of rakyat. If the future gov ever fails you, lest not you forget that you have the very same power to vote them out. No party should feel like they have won once they ascend to the top. And this is where we come in. For what its worth, any change atm would be for the best.

The people have lost the power for too long, we need to grant us back this. In between the wok and the fire, maybe the truest purpose of democracy lies in the cook. And his tools shall never override him, regardless.” – Ida