Bersih 4’s message – corruption is colour-blind
Bersih 4 was not a feel-good picnic
The challenge for change to rid the country of corrupt governance is to bring the message to the masses. Edify those who have been brainwashed and indoctrinated into a traditional state of ignorance like a political ‘jahiliyah’ (ignorance).
The political patronage system is entrenched and pervasive. Until the Malay heartland is enlightened and assured their religion and race will not be threatened by change, they will stick to the ‘old way’ because Umno and PAS have won their loyalty in a country where race and religion still count for those people.
Winning by enlightening the Malay mind may be the challenge when it is almost certain that gerrymandering and mal-apportionment will not be redressed and the only solution is to turn the tables when the presumed ‘fixed deposit’ voters do the opposite and gerrymandering and mal-apportionment become a double-edged sword.
Drngsc: Dear patriotic Malaysians, the easier part has been done. Now the more difficult part is to make our MPs (Umno and BN) see that changes must come to build a better Malaysia.
It is better if the Umno-BN MPs initiate them. Otherwise we will kick them all out come GE14. We will rally again pre-GE14.
Ourvotesdecide: Our next and perhaps our greatest challenge now is how to spread the Bersih 4 message to the ordinary voters, especially in the rural areas such as the Malay kampungs and Orang Asli settlements in peninsula Malaysia, the Dayak longhouses in Sarawak and the Kadazandusun kampungs in Sabah.
These are the areas that were bought by our corrupt leaders using Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), 1Malaysia water tanks or instant noodle handouts in the last general election.
If Bersih can deliver its message to voters in these areas and convince them to stop voting for the candidates or parties that support corrupt leaders, only then would Bersih achieve its goals of getting good governance, a free and fair election, stopping corruption, ensuring independent judiciary and our institutions, freedom of assembly, speech, etc.
Bersih should continue to raise funds and organise political education and training for voters in the rural seats in collaboration with NGOs.
Bersih must continue its mission with a well-structured or coordinated educational and training programme.
VP Biden: The Bersih rally has shown that the Chinese are not going to pack their bags and migrate. They are here to stay. They want to make Malaysia a better place for all.
In the 1999 reformasi era, the Chinese were passive. Bersih 4 has shown they are not, anymore. Umno and their lackeys better believe it, the silent Malay and noisy Chinese are going to create a Malaysian tsunami in the next general election. Mark my words.
Ferdtan: Many firsts were created by Bersih 4.
1. Thirty-four hours of protest. I was one of the many people not convinced that Bersih can sustain 34 hours of street protest but it did. We thought it was a recipe for failure if not many opted to stay back for another day.
2. Sleep-over on the streets. We were really amazed that a few thousands stayed overnight on pavements and streets to continue the protest. That showed commitment and courage.
The sleep-over was almost alike the ‘occupy movement’ such as the Occupy Wall Street movement, but ours was unique as it was just for one night without obstructing and causing problems to others.
3. The police acted professionally with no interference thus making the protest a peaceful one.
4. No fear in taking part in demonstrations. Many first-timers had made it to the rally, though mostly on the second day when it was clear that the Bersih rally would be peaceful.
From the crowd, we can see many people who you would never imagine would appear in any public rallies. That bodes well for the future. The message of citizen’s right to protest was made clear on that day.
5. Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad joined the rally. It didn’t matter for what purpose or motive.
6. Finally, it was the mother of all protests – over 300,000 people, excluding the thousands overseas in many countries joining in at their places.
Kim Quek: Thanks, Thuan Chye, for this excellent report on the biggest rally ever held in the history of this country. Not only the biggest, but it is also the most impressive mass expression of Malaysians’ yearnings for sweeping changes to the country.
The mammoth crowds, the endless flow of people through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and the sustained passion of hundreds of thousands of patriots over days and night to thunder their emphatic rejection of the corrupt leadership must have rattled this regime, widened its internal rift, thus hastening its demise.
Let us all congratulate ourselves for the resounding success of this historical event, and continue to toil relentless until our objectives are achieved.
We should, in particular, make special effort to disseminate the truth to those not-so-well informed – by exposing the evils committed by those in power and convincing them of the urgency to bring changes.
History is on our side. Be assured that the good will triumph over the evil, as proven time and again in history.
Ben Hor: Let us not forget the thousands of Malaysians abroad who joined in solidarity with our fellow countryman back home in Malaysia. Even though we were far away in a foreign land, our hearts were with you, Malaysia and all Malaysians.
Salam Bersih from Bersih San Francisco.
Quah Ban Gim: Corruption is colour-blind. A collapsing economy is colour-blind. Decency is colour-blind. Stealing. Lying. False accusation. Abusing power of office. These are all colour-blind.
People who stand up for truth to demand responsible conduct of those elected to offices of trust to honour the trust for holding on to their office of trust, are colour-blind.
Thuan Chye, you speak for all decent Malaysians who desire a decent land for our children to be able to live in peace and decency. Bersih 4 expresses this strong desire. Decent Malaysians understand this instinctively.
You think this can be bought with money and promise of great power? Decent Malaysians stood up for decency at Bersih 4. We are colour-blind. We are Malaysians.
Appum: Kee Thuan Chye, you’re a pain in the a…, I mean, neck to the powers-that-be. Please continue to express our feelings on our behalf.
Unspin: Umno should face it. It is impossible for them to gather 300,000 random citizens to champion their cause even if they paid money for it. They are jealous. They are afraid.
Maplesyrup: We were crammed among the crowd and I looked around me and thought, it would be disastrous if tear gas was thrown at us.
But what the heck, we got to do what we have to do – to make a stand for Malaysia to say to the powers-that-be, we will not be intimidated and say to their face, we want a clean and just government.
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