As the last of the tear gas settles and we all go back to our lives, Bersih lives up to its expectations again of uniting all Malaysians regardless of race, religion and gender in fighting for its call for free and fair elections.

There are plenty of personal accounts and videos of people witnessing countless acts of selflessness in the chaos that ensued at the end of the rally.

I wasn’t up front so I don’t know what happened, what triggered the riot police to fire rounds of tear gas and water cannons, although there are plenty of stories going around from different sides.

All I know was that everything was going smoothly and people were mingling and chatting with each other, it was like a carnival. So different from last year’s rally, where even wearing a YELLOW t-shirt could get one arrested. There wasn’t that fear nagging in your head that that cop over there is just waiting to cuff you.

So there we were, hanging around Jalan TAR, watching people, striking up a conversation here and there when suddenly we hear some pops at the front, near Dataran, and smoke circling upwards. Shit, they’ve started shooting tear gas, let’s go, Suresh and the hubs said.

People started rushing back but not in a total panic. Everyone was still aware of each other and made sure that anyone who had trouble, was assisted. People shared their packets of salt with total strangers. I saw at least 2 people who were unconscious being helped. I also saw one man with blood streaming from his head being assisted by another group of people. I suspect he got hit by a tear gas canister.

Anyway, long story short, the magnitude of people who attended Bersih 3.0 was way larger than any previous rally. Just the number of people who showed up, some from out of town, should be enough of a signal to the government to overhaul the election process.

There were the old, the young, the able-bodied and physically challenged. I saw a photo of 2 blind men with yellow cloth tied around their necks, with their hands on the shoulders of their sighted friend/stranger leading them through the crowd. That photo alone brought tears to my eyes.

Can you imagine how strongly they feel for the cause, for them to brave the potential tear gas and water cannons that might (and did) eventually come? I am so touched and blessed for the extent that some of my fellow citizens are wiling to go through to ensure that our country has a better future.

The violence was uncalled for. It could’ve ended without any incident. But unfortunately, there was violence. Tear gas and water cannons were not spared. Harmless and weaponless citizens were not spared.

To those who didn’t attend and say that we (those who attended) should’ve seen it coming and deserved it, shame on you. Shame on you for discrediting the effort that we took to try to make a change for YOUR CHILDREN’S future. Shame on you for complaining about the state of the country but not getting off your sorry @$$ to do anything about it when the opportunity arises. I try not to make judgments… I don’t think badly of those who don’t attend to fight for free and fair elections because everyone has their reasons to attend or not to attend. They can choose other means of spreading the message. But to mock us and say we deserved getting gassed, sprayed at with chemical-laced water, and getting beaten up by the cops? You get zero respect.

So anyway, I was very happy to be at Bersih 3.0, contributing to the numbers who have risen to voice our dissatisfaction with the current electoral process. I don’t know what will come out of this but I sincerely hope that this event is making “some people” very uncomfortable and at the verge of shitting bricks, and hopefully drive some long-awaited positive change.

Picture borrowed from Suresh. This was taken a while before the riot police started shooting their tear gas.

Malaysians are finally waking up to the injustices committed by the current ruling government, thanks to wider access to alterntive news channels and also to the rising civic-consciousness of the people.

On 9 July 2011, there will be a peaceful rally from the city center to the King’s palace to deliver a list of 8 demands for electoral reforms to ensure fair and free elections. This rally is Bersih 2.0, the sister to its inaugural Bersih 1.0 on 10 November 2007, which directly or indirectly contributed to the opposition winning 5 states and for once in a long time, denying 2/3 majority to the ruling coalition.

I have never taken any interest in politics. I’ve always thought (and still do) think politics is the dirtiest “industry” with a bunch of greedy politicians out to fulfil their own selfish agendas. However, prior to the 2008 general elections, I was “woken up” because I started reading news from sources other than the mainstream newspaper (which are controlled by the ruling government), which then opened my eyes to so many disgusting and despicable things happening in my country, that we normal folks wouldn’t know about if we didn’t have access to these alternate news channels. But thanks to the internet and social media, unbiased and accurate news reports can now be accessed by a larger audience, which I think, is what’s contributing to the increasing civic awarenesss in Malaysian society today.

Also, prior to 2007, I was not a registered voter because I was one of those people who (due to my view of politics) didn’t think my one vote would be of any use to make any change in this country because (1) all political parties are the same i.e. out to fulfil their personal agendas so why should I even vote for any of them, and (2) heck, I’m less than a drop in the ocean so I won’t make a different anyway. But my view changed when the hubs educated me by saying that, yes, although it’s true that all political parties have their own agendas but it is better to vote for the opposition than not vote at all because at the very least, the opposition can be a check-and-balance to the ruling government so that they (the ruling government) will think a bit harder when they want to commit some hanky-panky. After thinking about that for a bit, I thought, that’s true. I can’t make a difference on my own but collectively, like-minded people like me can give the opposition a voice to challenge the ruling government and make them be more accountable for their actions.

So that’s where my perspective changed and I started taking more interest in how my country is being run and how my hard-earned tax money is being used. Of course, everyday there are things in the news that make me so angry that I wish I could just punch the daylights out of the idiots using my taxes but when I see/hear of Malaysians from all walks of life coming together to stand up against injustice and corruption, it makes me swell with pride, that there are people like me who do care about the state of our country and who are willing to suffer the consequences of standing up against the injustices forced upon us.

I will be the first to admit that (1) I don’t do enough, and (2) I am scared shitless of what could happen to me (or my family) if I were to be more involved. But my first step would be at next Saturday’s Bersih 2.0 rally. I am angry that the government is threatening harm to citizens who are just asking for fair and free elections. And I am angry that the government is succeeding in making me shake in my pants, anticipating what they are capable of stirring up in a massive rally of tens of thousands of people. The government is elected by the people (in fair elections, that is) and is supposed to serve the people and look out for the people’s wellbeing! But they are THREATENING us instead?! Where is the logic in that?!! This makes me so so angry when I feel unsafe to take to the streets in a peaceful walk to just ask for free and fair elections. That I’m afraid of what the police would do. That what the government would conspire to do, like plant instigators in the crowd to stir up racial tensions. Imagine that! I am afraid of the POLICE and the government!! What the hell??!!!! This makes me soooooooo angry!! The police is supposed to ensure citizens’ safety but now people are afraid of them?!! This just not make any sense at all.

Bersih 2.0 is not a political rally. If it were, I would think twice about going because I don’t openly support any political party. I will support anyone who is fair, free of corruption, and looks out for the good of the country and her people. If there is none, I will take the best I can get.

Bersih’s main objective is “to push for a thorough reform of the electoral process in Malaysia”. As far as I’m concerned, this is the cause I am supporting. The latest news on electoral flaws (just out yesterday) 152 voters sharing TWO addresses! 88 voters in one address and 64 in another. Like, hallo?! Does the Election Commission (EC) even check and validate registered voters against their addresses? I guess this proves that they don’t. But the one that sealed the fact that the EC is NOT independent nor impartial is when the EC chairman made a statement and accused Bersih of “championing an opposition party’s political agenda“. If the EC were really independent and impartial, it wouldn’t make such statements because this clearly indicates that the EC is for the ruling coalition.

The way the government is handling Bersih 2.0 is shameful and humiliating for us citizens. I hope the news is being spread internationally so that the world can watch how the ruling government is trying to stifle the rakyat from freely voicing their rights. Come 9 July 2011, I will walk with my fellow Malaysians to make a change in our beloved country, come what may. *yes, I’m still scared shitless but I’ll use the fear to drive me to do this*