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I had the opportunity (I suddenly realise the difference between opportunity and chance; 'opportunity' carries with it a sense of privilege) to speak to someone who went to the Bersih rally last Saturday, along with more than 10 other people from Sabah. He told of how the authorities forced them into death-end streets and fired tear gas (without provocation from the peaceful marchers), not up into the sky to reduce the impact, but DIRECTLY at rally marchers. The worst situations were when marchers were in enclosed places, such as tunnels, which made it impossible for them to escape the stinging and suffocating gas.
I cried with sadness and anger when I watched the video of Baharuddin Ahmad's last minutes, how the police stood by doing nothing while civilians frantically tried to help release him from his tied hands. I saw how most of the Muslim marchers prayed when accosted by the police, I watched a young Malay girl cried out in English to the police around her (brave girl, I admire you!), amid the chaos and tear gas, "You hurt your own citizens?!!" and my sense of patriotism and unity increased by a million fold.
The majority of people supporting Bersih is not necessarily pro-opposition. People just want good governance, clean elections, fair judiciary, fair media and freedom of speech, the latter being only available to ruling party leaders who say whatever they want, constantly inciting racial hatred and threats without any action against them from the government.
When Mohamed Bouasisi lay dying in hospital, the President of Tunisia had the good sense of visiting although it was sense that came too late; the president and his family had to flee the country one month later when the citizens of Tunisia rose up against the oppressive regime. Bouasisi self-immolated when he couldn't stand the bullying by the corrupted local municipal counsellors anymore. His case sparked the Arab Spring that is still on-going today.
None of our ministers even bothered to visit Baharuddin's family or attend his funeral. The country's politicians, ruling or opposition, must remember this: 1) a government is for the people, by the people, of the poeple. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address touches not only the Americans but the people of the world too. Even citizens of countries that are not democratic yearn for a government by the people. Even babies show a need for freedom. It is a basic human trait. 2) this is the internet generation and voters are younger and educated. They aren't ignorant or fearful.
