You can't chain my soul!

They say that you, an individual do make that count. That is what they tell us when election day comes. They persuade you not to waste that vote and that it is everybody's birthright to choose their leader. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, so you do your share of your bargain.

Cynics would reply them that a single swallow does not make up the whole summer. And that your single vote will never make the difference. That had never been a single incidence of an election decided by a single vote.

But wait, there is! A constituency in Rajasthan was indeed caught in such a predicament in a 2008 Elections. A Congress candidate secured 62,216 votes versus his BJP opponent who managed 62,215 votes. The recounting of the postal votes and later, all the votes, showed exactly the same results. That, in itself, demonstrated how accurate the counting was! Zero error rate.

The case later went to the courts when the loser accused the winner's second wife to have voted twice. The allegation took four long years to resolve. The BJP candidate was declared the winner, but he was not interested anymore. He had a better position at the Ministerial level.

That is what people must have thought when they made a beeline to the city centre today, 19th November 2016 - that they wanted to be the change that they wanted to see. Enough said that change starts with the man in the mirror. They held a peaceful demonstration despite the threats of unrest, water cannons and incarcerations that besieged them. They must have heeded to Gandhi's quotation, 'They can imprison me, but they cannot jail the whole country'.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/assembly-elections-2013/rajasthan-assembly-elections/Every-single-vote-counts-in-this-assembly-election/articleshow/26876261.cms

Pilgrimage for social justice?

It had a fiesta mood, jovial demeanour, smiling faces, honking road users, the same colour motif and the chant. The roads were their path to reach the point of salvation. Interlaced amongst the crowd were banners, placards and cheeky messages. Everybody was courteous and everybody wanted their voices to be heard. Orang asal with years of neglect were down with their banner. So were the workers with minimum wage on their mind. The LGBT representative was there with his rainbow hued flag to be counted. The only time I last saw so many people don yellow was during Thaipusam celebration during my childhood back in Penang!

Come to think of it, there were so many similarities between this peaceful march and Thaipusam celebrations in Penang. People would come from near and far to witness the procession. The joy was in the walk as there was where old friends of yesteryears would be met. The march would be interrupted by occasional kavadis that would tickle our interest- in Bersih 4.0, it was the catchy tongue-in-cheek placards. The theme of Thaipusam colour was yellow (saffron) denoting the colour of fire that culminated from Lord Muruga's spear as he crushed the demon. It is also the colour signifying renunciation from pleasures of the world. In Bersih 4.0, people renounced their long weekend break to balik kampung, give up the comforts of their air-conditioned homes with pleasant beds to match but to pay homage to one of humanity's great asset - social justice!

During Thaipusam celebrations in Penang, people would make many trips; once in the morning for prayers and the evening again to enjoy the view of people and the kaleidoscopic hues of slava/vel kavadis - In Bersih 4.0, many did the same. Even the 90-year-old Dr M did the same, braving the crowd travelling with the common folks in the mass railway transportations to repent his former misdoings over the years by offering moral support to the people.
In most places, Thaipusam is a three-day fair; Bersih 4.0 being a 34-hour extravaganza climaxing with shouts of Merdeka at the stroke of midnight! The people have spoken, stated their displeasure, loud and clear, not only in the country but the world over. What next?

http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy

Cleaning time!

Somehow we got a good deal. The maker was in a good mood he made us, our country. The lush of greenery, the evergreen trees, the stable tectonic plates, the absence of major catastrophes, the strategic location was our selling point. Our quaint lazy ambience with rich natural resources must have earned our nickname comparing it to a golden land.

Ah, people were always lousy...

But there was a world, once.

This same trait must have been the pulling factor that drew unsavoury visitors who wanted all for themselves. The early settlers, with no malice on their mind, ushered them in with open arms, typical of how they would honour their weary guests as described by most of the holy scriptures that they knew.

The conniving guests, with evil exuding through their eyes and souls plot devious mischiefs to create pandemonium just to appear of as peacemaker at the same time. The host started fragmenting. The guests suddenly appeared more composed, more cultured and wiser. With their master wrangling and wringing of the truth, they turned the tables. The visitors became the masters and the hosts were at their mercy.

A wave of resurgence swept their world like a tsunami, shaking the foundation of administration. Awoken from a slumber, the subjects rose to the occasion via the same knowledge that the, now colonial masters had advocated for their own convenience. 

The natives became masters. The scurrying masters left behind a solid foundation complete the pillars of execution, legislation and administration protocols. The scholarly template and medical web network that they left behind was the envy of its neighbours. Blessed with industrious thrifty citizens who were gung-ho to catch up with lost times, the country went all steam ahead. They were going places, reaching dizzying heights. What used to be a void space between the 'Elephant kingdom' and the 'Lion kingdom' suddenly surfaced on atlases.

The designated leaders encouraged simpleton followers of the new dream to squeeze the throttle. Self-glorification elevated them higher and higher. Nothing seems impossible. As the lab rats reach near exhaustion, emaciation and anaerobic ketoacidosis, the subjects realised that their tokens have shrunken. The treadmill seems steeper, their speed faster with shrinking results.

News squiggled of certain discrepancies in calibration. Lab rats are no scientists but they knew where it hurt. They could not stomach the nonsensical computations that their caretakers were selling. The favourite snack / token that they had died for all these while was no cheese but hold behold soylent green!

"Enough is enough, this time we change!" they said. They raised their hoes and sickles and don their favourite yellow attire to parade and show their solidarity to clean the laboratory, kitchen sink, drain the bathtub with  the baby and all.

Found floating in cyberspace!

Written by Renee Talalla
She is a language teacher who is married to a retired member of the Malaysian Diplomatic Service

Tired, sleepy and aching all over, but have to write this down to get it out of the mind and system before I can sleep. So here is my account of Bersih 3 written at 11pm on 28 April 2012.

As law-abiding and not terribly brave senior citizens, we had opted out of Bersih 2 when it was banned, pronounced illegal, KL on lockdown etc. This time, like so many others, we decided we had to show our support for clean and fair elections. Needless to say we did not expect trouble, but prepared for it nevertheless - salt, wet towel etc in a backpack. We were confident the crowd would be disciplined and the police restrained after the debacle of Bersih 2.

At 10.30 am my husband and I caught the LRT to Pasar Seni. Packed train and the crowd chatty and friendly. From Pasar Seni at about 11am we strolled past the Central Market then along the embankment and down Tun Perak. Crowds gathering everywhere, standing around or sitting on kerbs along the road. We made our way through a very dense crowd near the corner of Tun Perak and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to find a place where we could sit that was raised a little above ground. [At 70 and husband almost 80, if we had tried to sit on the road or kerb we would have had great difficulty getting up again!].

Anyway, we found the ideal place. Three steps, then the pool of water below the water feature against a wall. Mostly occupied, but people made room for us. Standing on the second step we could see quite a bit. Could also sit on that step. One row of people behind us on the third step. It was cool and under shade. The perfect spot.

11.30; by now and the crowd was building up by the minute. I'd say 80% Malay, the rest Chinese with a smattering of Indians. We were getting more and more squashed, but could hold our excellent position. Very hungry by 1pm [forgot to bring food!] but could not move even 6 inches either way. I took pics. People as far as the eye could see in every direction. Perhaps about 40 or more rows of people in front of us - how dangerous this turned out to be later!

National anthem sung a few times and lots of chanting Bersih bersih, bebas bebas etc. All very pleasant despite the intense heat and hunger! Chatted with a 75 year-old smiley Malay pak chik who had come that morning from Pahang. A tundunged mak chik near me had come from Trengganu. Both simple folk,without too many words exchanged we felt the bond of being there for a common cause.

We couldn't hear the speeches that were made sporadically and too many people in front of us to see who was speaking etc. But had good view of the WALL of police facing us along the front of Dataran.

One small thing that speaks volumes about the discipline of the crowd up till the panic began: thousands were sitting and standing before us, yet hardly anyone smoked. I had read it was one of the things NOT to do. That instruction was largely obeyed. Smokers would know how amazing that is; three to four hours of waiting with a certain degree of tension and excitement yet such restraint!

At about 2.30 Anwar made a speech, less than 5 mins, to much cheering, standing on some raised platform. Could see him but could not hear. Anwar finished and must have left. Could hear chanting BUKA BUKA BUKA. Suddenly saw frontlines moving forward towards Dataran just near where Anwar had been, and police RUNNING back. From our position it looked like they were really opening the barrier and letting the crowd into Dataran. Everyone near us cheered loudly and happily at this miraculous development!

Suddenly all hell broke loose. Without any warning [that we could hear], the water cannons fired and simultaneously tear gas was lobbed right into the thousands in front of us. I thought we were so far back nothing would happen - the police would stop those who had gone past the barrier and the sit-in would continue or soon be over.

How wrong!!! They kept firing the tear gas canisters many many times right into the crowd - no break to allow people to run away. Pop pop pop they went, smoke everywhere. People running in every direction to get away. Hundreds came towards us - remember we were the very back line against a water feature and wall!! Nowhere to go and wedged in by hundreds of stampeding and panicked people. More and more who were gassed were coming at us to get to the pool below the water feature. We could not even get down off the two steps let alone get out our salt and towel etc. Panicked crowd pushed us and the others on the steps down and crawled their way over our bodies to get to the water. My husband was flat on his back, sprawled across the steps and couldn't even sit up. I was pushed half into the pool, backpack and all. I somehow managed to crawl out of the pool, tried to help him sit up but couldn't. Too many people climbing over us. By this time the tear gas had reached us too. Blinded and retching, coughing etc. Could not breathe or see to get out of there even if we weren't being pushed and shoved backwards.

After some terrifying moments, the mass of people cleared and we got up and off the steps. With streaming eyes, coughing and spluttering, we tried to get away from the Dataran area. Stumbled our way to the back but met with more tear gas coming now from the Jalan Raja Laut area. Nowhere to run. How to disperse? Why were they trapping people by firing from front and back? Such confusion for everyone fleeing and not knowing where to run.

Seeing our distress, some young Chinese came and gave us salt, calmed us down saying 'don't run, just stay here, it will pass'. So we stayed put in midst of tear gas clouds and true enough the minute you put salt on tongue the symptoms subsided quite a bit. Then some Malays who had taken refuge behind parked cars below in a little vacant lot behind Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman called out to us "auntie uncle mari sini mari sini". We staggered over to them. They gave us water and more salt and were so caring. From behind the car we watched people running everywhere with police chasing them. We decided we were staying crouched behind the cars till things cleared. Our companions all eventually left. We were alone in an eerie sort of calm.

Finally a bunch of policemen came by and saw us. One young lout yelled rudely MARI SINI. My husband walked slowly towards them but the lout kept shouting at me. I then walked slowly towards him and said softly, jangan bising, kenapa bising, itu kurang ajar. He looked like he would have hit me. Luckily a police officer came up and said gently 'come with us'. I asked, 'Will we be safe?' 'Yes yes he said, we'll take you out'. 'So tell your man to stop shouting'. I said. And he did! The lout walked off.

We were escorted out near the Dataran and allowed to go. Police were everywhere escorting detainees and we were regarded with much suspicion by police and onlookers!! We made our way to the Selangor club. The gates were shut. We had to produce our membership card before they would let us in. What a sight we must have looked!! Wet, red-eyed and bedraggled. Rushed to the restroom and got out of wet bersih tees, dried the hair, [luckily we both had brought extra tee shirts.] Cleaned up as best we could and then sat down to tea and sandwiches, first food since b'fast. Good to feel civilised again!!. Now about 4 pm.

Around five we decided to catch the LRT home. Well, another drama! Cops everywhere outside Selangor club, lounging about smoking etc. Politely this time one said in Malay, 'sorry uncle all roads to LRTs closed'. 'How do we get home?, we asked. He shrugged apologetically and pointed down Jalan Raja Laut. Along the way, helpful people told us the only way out was the commuter train. Sogo, Masjid Jamek, and Pasar Seni LRT stations were all out of bounds.

Quite a walk along Raja Laut, then a climb up a steep hill, no real path, and finally climb over railings to get to the train. Couldn't use overhead bridge as roads were blocked by police. All the way we were helped by young Chinese and Malays, pushing us from behind and dragging us ahead up the hill and over the railings! Amazing feeling and worth the whole nasty experience to experience this kindness from strangers. The train to Sentral and then the LRT to PJ were jam packed. Again the shared experience bonded everyone, young and old, all sharing what they had gone through to the strangers next to them. Everyone stunned at the force and extent of police reaction just because some had breached the barrier.

Only at home were the aches and pains noticed and felt! Far worse though was the mental shock that our POLICE would endanger the lives of young and old. They knew the crowd was so dense that escape was extremely difficult. They wanted us to disperse so why trap people in the middle by firing tear gas from the front and from behind too? And why were they chasing after people trying to get away from the gas? Old people, women and children had to run for their lives. It was not an illegal assembly, and they had succeeded in driving the crowd away from Dataran. Why then keep chasing all down the roads and alleys? Why close off the LRT stations so people could not leave for home easily? So many unanswered questions. It didn't make sense.

But, I'm so glad to have done this - an eye-opener of how Malaysia could be, no race or religion mattered. People came to our aid. Most touching were the young Malay and Chinese boys and girls who tried to help us. The best and worst of human nature was on display.We are okay. My husband lost his towel and hat and has some scraped skin on his leg. It could have been so much worse. He got up and went to church at 6.30 this morning! All is well. So much to celebrate about Malaysia!

We ourselves are changed forever - less fearful now and if such a call were to come again from Civil Society, God Willing, we shall be better prepared to respond!

Yellow fever!

Rule of law, rule by law — by Ambiga Sreenevasan

July 23, 2011
JULY 23 — Good Morning! Chancellor, vice chancellor and graduating students.
It is so good to be back!
I am deeply moved by the conferment of this honour upon me. That it comes from my alma mater is especially significant for me. That it comes at this time is almost providential, for it allows me and all lawyers to reflect on our roles in the societies we live in.
For this honour and this moment of reflection, I extend my grateful thanks to the Council and Senate of the University of Exeter.
Tired of injustice and oppression, people the world over are crying out for truth, goodness, justice and universal love and understanding.
The events in Malaysia over the past six weeks culminating in the rally for free and fair elections on the 9th of July, has taught me so much more than I could have ever learned in the last 30 years as a practising lawyer.
My team and I faced first-hand the full force of the unleashed power of the state, and I realised then the importance of the independence of the Institutions of government, particularly the judiciary, to check such abuses of power.
I also realised how real and present the absence of the Rule of Law can be.
In countries where the Rule of Law reigns strong and true one probably does not even talk about it. But in countries that veer towards Rule by Law, talking about getting back to the basics is crucial.
In many countries, Rule by Law is reflected in the existence of repressive laws that violate the fundamental rights of its citizens. One example of this is preventive detention laws that lock people away without affording them the basic right to a trial. There are many examples of such oppressive laws worldwide and they are not confined to underdeveloped or developing countries.
As lawyers, we are in a unique position. Our years of legal study and practice teach us to see and appreciate the fundamental role that the Rule of Law plays in guaranteeing that the state governs its citizens in a just and democratic manner.
Who better to remind those in power of their responsibilities to their citizens than lawyers trained in understanding the difference between “Rule of Law” and “Rule by Law”?
Our role as lawyers must therefore extend far beyond traditional legal practice.
Here, I make no reference to rules, guidelines, documents, or declarations. My only reference point is our conscience. Can we as lawyers, ever sit back and watch the erosion of fundamental liberties of the people around us and do nothing? Clearly, silence in these circumstances, is not an option.
When I graduated from this university about 30 years ago, things were of course very different. Today the Internet and social media has empowered people with a continual flow of unfiltered and up-to-date information. No longer can the manipulation and control of information be effectively used by those in power to suppress either thought or action.
You are in a world where you know instantly of injustices taking place in any part of it. In this global village drawn together by so many factors, we are one. We can reach out to each other using these new means of communication and we owe it to each other to stand together for what is right.
You may say, “But I studied law to be a solicitor or barrister and to earn money for a decent standard of living”. There is nothing wrong with that, I assure you. I run a commercial litigation practice in a partnership of four where we also do public interest litigation. The two can co-exist quite comfortably.
The point I make is this.
You are graduating from one of the best universities in the country if not on the planet! You are special. And you are now a proud member of an army of people that is equipped with all that is necessary to both practise law and to fight injustice.
I urge you to use this arsenal of knowledge and your passion for justice to fight for those who are downtrodden.
You have already heard of the events of July 9th in Malaysia. Whilst it brought out the worst in some, it brought out the best in others and this is where our hope lies.
There were some in government who opposed the methods used to shut us down.  Even doctors left their comfort zones to speak up against injustices. And of course there were the lawyers and the independent media who stood on the side of truth and justice.
However, the real heroes of that day are our friend and supporter Allahyarham Baharuddin Ahmad who paid the ultimate price in fighting a noble cause, the six members of the Socialist Party of Malaysia who, as we speak, sit in solitary confinement under preventive detention laws and finally the brave people of Malaysia who overcame their fear of intimidation and harassment to uphold their fundamental rights.
With all my heart I dedicate this honour you have bestowed upon me to them.


* This was the acceptance speech delivered by Datuk Dr Ambiga Sreenevasan upon her conferment with the Honorary Doctorate Of Laws, University of Exeter. I like the part she says, "..Even doctors left their comfort zones to speak up against injustices." Guess doctors must be giving the impression of being a totally apathetic lot! Why 'even doctors'??

British subtlity at its best!

(from Malaysian Insider).....The palace will surely be running an enquiry into the shockingly embarrassing faux pas on the part of the Queen when she met the Prime Minister Najib yesterday. How could her majesty have been allowed to make such an appalling blunder? There could not be a more glaringly bright garment in the royal wardrobe. Brilliant daffodil yellow! From head to toe! If her majesty had worn this on the streets of KL the previous week, she would have been arrested! No question about it!

Was it is a genuine faux pas or is it a classic case of pacifying a child after pinching its butt? Not that the British are not known for their subtleties! I remember be told whilst preparing for the English professional examinations, not to be too confident that that oral examination and viva voce went on too well. The examiners who were just too nice could have failed you too miserably or have written a nasty remarks on your score chit after all that niceties! How do you think they managed to rule over so many advanced civilizations for so many generation? With brute force?

Why oh why?

 I would be doing grave injustice if I do not mention at least in the passing about the Malaysians of all walks of life and all corners of the globe who came together for a similar cause. Remember this date 9th July 2011.

from all walks of life

During the height of the public rally, from the comfort of the armchair in the cool dry ambiance of my home, (it was pouring outside) I had the opportunity of gazing through some of the most stirring moments since the moment Tunku hailed heartily the cry of Merdeka to the nation in 1957, via the plethora of excellent photographs depicted via Facebook. In a very long time, Malaysians forgot their differences and came together for a single cause -to be heard!

the stand-off

At the end of the whole brouhaha, two things were quite clear to all of us. Everyone has come out smelling of roses in spite of the dented egos, injuries here and there, loss of business for a day and the initial fear of the sequelae. The Government is happy with the police for allegedly handling the crowd professionally (?with tear gas and water hose). The organizers of the rally were smiling happy, in spite of their crimson hued clothes of injuries and wet due to rain and water jet shot at them, with the great turnout which they claim to be 50,000 (vs. 5,000 as alleged by their opponents).
And it also looks like none of the leaders have any control over any anybody (so it appears) and like to pass the buck. The government leaders initially refused to legitimize the rally, tried to discourage it via the media of its ill effect on tourism and local business. When the call became too loud, they insist that the King's consent must be sought. When the King decreed that the stadium would be used. Then the stadium management refused. And the police said no permit for your rally and that they would shoot demonstrators.

guess who joined the party? Marina!

PM said Home Minister is responsible who says that the Police is on consenting to gathering (like the Minister is just there to warm the seat and collect his pay cheque and other benefits), forgetting that the King had given the green light, albeit in a contained environment! The word treason died in the era of Hang Jebat! Hey, who is the Boss aorund here?
During one of the photo browsing instance in cyberspace, I stumbled upon a shot of two individuals, obviously foreigners with an international news broadcasting crew - a Caucasian male behind the camera capturing the clash between police and rakyat around Puduraya and a pudgy Indian lady, from my novice Sherlock Holmes' type of deduction, with post parturition remaining adipose tissue probably with a toddler back home under the care of her mother, hanging behind the camera looking apprehensive. She must be an apprentice of sort or an assistant technician hoping to advance her career in the field of photo-journalism, looking anxious but trying her best to be the one to capture that special moment hoping that her one shot could change the world like the scores of classics we have been exposed to before - the classic helicopter shot leaving Saigon, of the nude young girl running aimlessly after being exposed to Agent Orange, WW2 atom bomb victims, etcetera....
Maybe, sounding chauvinistic in the comfort of my armchair, sounding politically incorrect in this time and age, I ask myself, "Why or why? What is a lady like you doing in a place like this?" The answer I would have probably got (after a tight slap) is ... something I learnt in Dewan Kindergarten in 1969.....
I had joined this kindergarten late after leaving the one near my house as they believed in corporal punishment for pre-schoolers! The teachers in the old school used to tie the tiny children's hands with strings and frighten them with lit matchsticks for mischief. In Dewan, on my first day, every child was happily singing to the tune of the Malay folk song 'Bangau Oh Bangau'. If one were to scrutinize the lyrics of the song which starts with the question of why the stork's leg are so petite, we would come to realize that everything in this world is inter-related. One cannot stand independent or oblivious of the other. No one stands alone. It is a vicious cycle. Somebody got to the dirty job for the betterment of the bigger good (if there is such a word!

Oh Bangau oh Bangau

Kenapa engkau kurus

Macam mana aku tak kurus

Ikan tidak timbul

Oh ikan oh ikan

Kenapa engkau tidak timbul

Macam mana aku nak timbul

Rumput panjang sangat

Oh rumput oh rumput

Kenapa panjang sangat

Macam mana aku tak panjang

Kerbau tak makan aku

Oh kerbau oh kerbau

Kenapa engkau tak makan rumput

Macam mana aku nak makan

Perut aku sakit

Oh perut oh perut

Kenapa engkau sakit

Macam mana aku tak sakit

Makan nasi mentah

Oh nasi oh nasi

Kenapa engkau mentah

Macam mana aku tak mentah

Kayu api basah

Ok kayu oh kayu

Kenapa engkau basah

Macam mana aku tak basah

Hujan timpa aku

Hujan oh hujan

Kenapa engkau timpa kayu

Macam mana aku tak timpa kayu

Katak panggil aku

Katak oh katak

Kenapa engkau panggil hujan

Macam mana aku tak panggil

Ular nak makan aku

Ular oh ular

Kenapa engkau kau nak makan katak

Macam mana aku tak makan katak

Memang makanan aku

Malaysians Passed the Test, Brilliantly!

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2011
M. Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com
bakrimusa@juno.com

A remarkable thing happened this past weekend. To many, the event on Saturday was nothing more than a massive public demonstration that capped a long brewing confrontation between those advocating “fair and free elections” and those who deemed that our elections are already so.
As with any fight, the drama was played out long before the event, and by the time the actual battle took place, the participants had long forgotten the original issue. Instead, now the preoccupation is who blinked first, who outsmarted whom, and most of all, who lost and who won. These then become the new overriding divisive issues, eclipsing the original one.
The losers would return to their corner with their new resolve: “Next time!” And the battle continues; they never learn! There were plenty of losers this weekend but few winners. The winners may be few but their achievements scaled new heights.
To me, this weekend was one of those moments (much too frequent, I hasten to add!) that test our nation. This time however, Malaysians acquitted themselves well. The same cannot be said of the Najib administration.
If this was an academic exercise, I would grade the performance of Malaysians as represented in Bersih an “A,” while the Najib Administration flunked badly. So dismal was its performance that the Najib administration should have no recourse to a remedial course or supplemental test; expulsion is the only option.

Terrible Trajectory

I would have thought that after the debacle of 1997 with the grossly inept handling of the reformasi demonstrations, and again a decade later with HINDRAF, the UMNO government would have learned a thing or two on how to deal intelligently with dissent and public demonstrations, two inherent features of a democracy. My expectation is not unreasonable, if not heightened, considering that we are today dealing with essentially the same characters in the administration. Most of the ministers who were in power during the reformasi and HINDRAF (now dubbed Bersih 1) are still there in Najib’s cabinet.
Obviously they, individually and collectively, have a flat learning curve. They are incapable of learning. There is a clinical term for that, but since this is a lay article I will resort to street lingo: idiots.
Their flat learning curve is even more incomprehensible considering that the consequences to them were so severe. The 1997 reformasi mess resulted in Barisan being thrashed in the 1999 elections, with Najib nearly being kicked out of his safe seat in Pekan that his father had held for many years.
The price escalated with Bersih 1.0. The general elections of 2008 saw Barisan being humiliated with an unprecedented loss of its two-thirds parliamentary majority, along with five states, including two of the most developed: Penang and Selangor.
I will let readers plot the trajectory as to the consequences of this weekend’s mess should the next general elections be held soon, as is widely predicted.
The iconic image of the reformasi debacle was of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar’s battered face; that of Bersih1.0 was of Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin frothing at the mouth, babbling incoherently in front of the international news media trying to justify his government’s brutal suppression of its people. It was a classic demonstration of that uniquely Malay mental malady, latah (verbal diarrhea). It was also a display of amok, another peculiarly Malay affliction, albeit in this case only of the oral variety.
The iconic image of Bersih 2.0 was refreshing; that of its leader Ambiga Sreenivasan, former Bar Council President, serenely leaving the Istana after an audience with the King. The symbolism could not be overstated, for the Najib Administration had earlier declared her organization illegal! Only those retarded would miss the message, and they are precisely the types we are dealing with here.

Winners and Losers
My award for courage and excellence in Berseh 2.0 goes to those brave Malay masses who defied their government, their imams, and the party that had long proclaimed and presumed to speak on their behalf. In taking a very active part in a movement led predominantly by non-Malays, those Malays showed that they are no longer trapped by tribalism; they had escaped the clutches of chauvinism. There is now no going back.
This significant milestone is not acknowledged, much less appreciated. However, leaders who ignore this do so at their peril. For aspiring Malay leaders, it is now no longer enough for you to display your nationalistic zeal or ethnic instincts. You have to articulate the issues that matter most to the Malay masses: fairness, honesty, and justice, in elections and on other issues. I would also add competence. Those incidentally are also the concerns of all Malaysians.
Yes, there was a time when you could garner Malay support by justifying that the victims of your corruption, injustices and unfairness were non-Malays. Those days are now long gone; get used to it! Malays now realize that while in the past those victims may be mostly non-Malays, today they are increasingly Malays too.
The comforting corollary to my observation is that those capable non-Malay leaders would be assured of Malay support, if they were to address the central issues facing the masses.
Yes, Bersih 2.0 had strong non-Malay support especially abroad. Unanswered is whether a similar movement with equally noble objectives but with predominantly Malay leadership would garner the same enthusiastic support from non-Malays. If reformasi was any indication, the answer would be a reassuring yes.
I am especially heartened by the responses of Malay NGO leaders like Marina Mahathir. When Najib, and others who took their cue from him, began demonizing Ambiga by maliciously injecting ugly racial and religious accusations, Marina unambiguously and passionately defended Ambiga. Marina was of course all smiles and gentleness, as is the traditional halus (fine) Malay way, but there was no disguising her contempt for such odious tactics and their purveyors.
The biggest loser was of course the Najib Administration, specifically Najib and his fellow UMNO ministers. Their inanity was typified by Home Minister Hishammuddin complimenting the police for keeping the peace and stability. Yes, with the streets blockaded, stores closed, and citizens bludgeoned – the ‘peace’ and ‘stability’ of a prison “lockdown.” That was KL all week leading to last Saturday.
The conspicuous silence of other Barisan leaders was noted; that reflected solidarity not out of courage but cowardice. In contrast, even UMNO Youth defied Najib in declaring that it too would stage a counter demonstration.
Despite its defiance, UMNO Youth was also the loser, together with that ultra-Malay organization led by has-been politicians and past-their-peak professors, Perkasa. Good thing that the government had banned their leaders from KL; at least they had a ready excuse for their dismal performance.
The list of losers is long; there is little merit in mentioning more except for just this one, and I do so with profound sadness. A few weeks before the event, all the mosques in Kuala Lumpur, including the National Mosque, were warning their Friday prayer congregants of the evilness of those who led Bersih 2.0 and the sin that would befall those who would participate in it.
At a time when our community is divided, as with this central issue of fair and free elections, I would expect our ulamas and religious leaders to be our healers, to bring us together, to be the balm to our collective wounds. Instead they became only too willing instruments of the state with their canned state-issued sermons demonizing those who saw merit in the objectives of Bersih 2.0.
Obviously to the thousands of Malays who took part in Bersih 2.0, including one particular old man in his jubbah who had to be helped to walk, those characters cloaked in their flowing robes standing at their mimbar every Friday noon are less pious ulamas to be revered but more propagandists for the state to be defied. They may be Imams, but to the thousands who took part in Berseh 2.0 last Saturday, they are carma imams, to borrow National Laureate Samad Said’s term. Carma is the Malay contraction of cari makan, seeking a living. Idiomatically it refers to those who prostituted their honored craft or profession.
Those GI Imams (Government-issued) have flunked their test; there is no remedial course for them either. That is one of the great casualties of last Saturday’s event. For those carma imams, there is no corner they can return to or hide in.