"ZEITGEIST" MALAYSIAN STYLE.......IT IS THE NEW SPIRIT OF THE AGE FOR ALL MALAYSIANS WHO LOVE TRUE DEMOCRACY!!

"Zeitgeist" MALAYSIAN STYLE.......IT IS THE NEW SPIRIT OF ALL MALAYSIANS WHO LOVE TRUE DEMOCRACY!!


By Sheridan Mahavera, The Malaysian Insider

A brief commotion at an LRT station showed off the Bersih 2.0 rally’s young, multi-racial face.

National laureate and Bersih icon Datuk A Samad Said was mobbed by Indian and Chinese Malaysian youths as he appeared to board the train home.

“Please take a picture with us Pak Samad, you are our hero,” said a young Indian Malaysia youth who came to KL to watch the rally. His place was then taken by two other Chinese youths who wanted their own pictures with the national poet.

Bersih or the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections may have declared that the rally attracted a multi-ethnic crowd of all ages but the movement still has a huge obstacle to overcome — the stigma that has been painted by the federal government and the Barisan Nasional (BN)-aligned media.

Of particular worry are the people in non-urban areas whom Pakatan Rakyat parties, such as PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, are courting ahead of the next general elections.

Bersih is a civil society-led movement but it has solid backing from PR parties who have historically complained that the BN games elections.

Though Bersih has been hugely successful in deepening and expanding support among urbane professionals of all races, it is still viewed suspiciously by those in the rural areas.

Such sentiments would spread from the movement itself to the political parties that support it.

PAS grassroots activists, for instance, were pumped up and made it to the rally in thousands. But they privately worry about how the electoral reform movement has been demonised.

“Even my husband didn’t want to come because he watched the news and thought it would be dangerous,” said a Pahang PAS activist who requested anonymity. In the end, the matronly retiree attended the rally with her 18-year-old daughter.

“People who watch the nightly news will definitely think negatively of Bersih. They aren’t as exposed,” says the activist.

According to a Johor PAS activist who wanted to be known as Faizul, the news reports of weapon caches found with Bersih T-shirts have been particularly damaging.

“Village folk tend to believe what is being shown without really thinking whether it makes sense. Who would put weapons caches and advertise their identity at the same time? It’s illogical,” says Faizul from Batu Pahat.

There were a string of news reports in the days leading up to the rally about police finding caches of parangs, knives and Molotov cocktails in several areas of the city. The bundles were hidden with piles of Bersih T-shirts.

Though the police have yet to determine whom the bundles belonged to, the discoveries implied that there were disruptive elements out to hijack the rally.

Merdeka Centre head Ibrahim Suffian believes Bersih and the ensuing government reponse have polarised Malaysians of all stripes.

“For Pakatan Rakyat supporters, it has just increased their scepticism of the (BN-ruled) government. For those who are pro-government, it has hardened their belief that the PR is out to cause trouble.”

Comments (9)...

written by BAYANGKARA, July 10, 2011 16:17:20

The BERSIH rally showcased true Malaysian unity in action!

That was the way it was a long time ago.

That's the way it should be.

That's the way it will be - when fair and free elections allow the people to express their desire for unity, racial harmony and what is good for the country at the ballot box. ...

written by ramlisdar, July 10, 2011 12:54:37

Comment by Utusan........... "He added that PAS was the biggest loser after yesterday's events, as Malays will now evaluate the inconsistency of PAS whose supporters attended the march in Islamic garb but behaviour while demonstrating was shameful."

The reality is more and more Malays are realising UMNO's plundering of Rakyat's money and giving their support to PAS and PR ..

written by macho, July 10, 2011 12:43:35

The best rally ever. great success. Peaceful by any standard. Only problem is the police in fact they are the violent group and the one carrying weapons. Most Malaysian just want peace but they also want freedom and fairness. We need to build on this momentum so more people comes out to exercise their vote. Only then this will be a truly democatic country. Of course we have to BERSIH the election first. Thank You all who came and support. I love you for being a true Malaysian ..

written by truthbespoken, July 10, 2011 12:43:33

Najib wanted 1Malaysia. He need not go further! He could have found it in the Bersih rally if he was there, with rain and all. People were there out of their own free will! I don’t know about other sites but there was a Malaysian feel in the Tung Shin Hospital area where there was a very substantial crowd. You get to see different races acknowledging each other freely, you get a Malay gentleman leading the pack for a while and later Pakatan parliamentarians R Sivarasa and Ngeh Khoo Ham talking to the crowd who had voluntarily sat on the road to listen to them. The crowd was largely Malays but there was a noticeable increase in young Chinese participation. Many Indians were there as well. It was a good mix of Malaysians with some foreign visitors' presence. The crowd was well behaved, sporadically shouting in unison for Bersih, Reformasi and singing the national anthem...that is, until the police manned with tear-gas guns and backed by FRU trucks equipped with water cannons moved in from both sides of the road, one from Jalan Bk Bintang and the other from Jalan Petaling area. Participants were then literally jammed in between by the police force!

An otherwise peaceful rally in Jalan Tung Shin had now turned restless with the people reacting in disgust at the police indiscreet firing of tear-gas and water-spraying at them! Many people were rubbing their eyes and choking! Just to further advance on the crowd who had run helter-skelter into the Tung Shin hospital compound to take shelter from their abuse, the police even sprayed water and shot tear gas into the hospital compound! For some moments in their zealousness, the police had not professionally considered the welfare of the sick patients inside the hospital!

But the good natural thing was, heavy rain came for half an hour or so and it took some sting out from the tear gas effect! At the time the people were still drenched from head to toe, all wet and out in the open, I felt at the same time a sort of a strong and warm feeling permeating into my system! I did not ask for it! It must have been involuntary response working under unusual circumstances. The adrenalin must have caused that good feeling. It might also have happened to some others. But whatever it was, having felt so then, I am now sure my fellow Malaysians out there had all taken the right decision to stand up firmly for our noble Malaysian cause for free and fair elections! Sure will do it again when the need arises. Only regret was witnessing some totally unnecessary and crude police arrests of fellow protesters! ...

written by Hanuman, July 10, 2011 12:42:11

I understand Arsenal is playing Malaysia XI this coming wednesday. Lets all wera yellow and support Malaysia XI!!!! Lets paint the whole stadium yellow! ...

written by uxzee, July 10, 2011 12:40:05

The atmosphere yesterday at the rally was festive, friendly, concerned, helpful and a new Malaysian spirit. I only hope that this New Malaysian era sets in soon.
The people mingled as One.
I observed that 70% of the police force at yesterday's rally were with the people. They were just observing. However the other 30% of the police force were brutal and ruthless and these are specially trained to idolized and protect UMNO leaders and attack the rakyat. ..

written by Chuan, July 10, 2011 12:13:11

singkhris, BERSIH is never about the Opposition. Go to www.bersih.org to see our 8 demands. We did NOT walk for any political party. .

written by singhkris, July 10, 2011 12:08:42

Najib had to bus a "million" youths to defend his bapa punya Putrajaya. If the government did not put all the obstacles for a whole week, he would have seen a million willing youths in the rally who are ready to help takeover Putrajaya for the opposition!

written by Littlebird, July 10, 2011 11:47:56

I agree, a truly united Malaysia exist. BTW, a special thanks to the two beautiful girls going around with a plastic bag collecting rubbish. Will upload the pictures later.