THE CICAK.com

Bersih protest, a show of people power

Parti Keadilan Rakyat Information Chief Tian Chua getting caught in the clashes near Pasar Seni.

Article and photos by CHUA SUE ANN

Nov. 10 will probably go down in Malaysian history as one of the greatest show of people power.

Thousands took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur yesterday to show support for electoral reform in this country.

There were different reports on the number of protesters at the rally. Bersih and Malaysiakini reported 40,000 individuals, and the police estimated the figure to be 4,000 to 8,000.

Bersih is a coalition of almost 70 civil society groups and opposition political parties.

Bersih protesters marching to Istana Negara.

They planned this public gathering and drew up a memorandum to demand clean and fair elections.

The four key reforms are:
1. Use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting.
2. To remove phantom voters and those who have died from the electoral roll.
3. The abolishment of domestic postal voting.
4. Equal and fair access to the press.

Originally, protest organizers had planned to gather at Dataran Merdeka and march to Istana Negara to submit a memorandum to the Yang Dipertuan Agong. However, due to heavy police crackdown and the rain, protesters congregated at Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek, Sogo and Masjid Negara.

Each group then made walked to the Istana Negara where many more were waiting. Participants chanted, “Bersih, bersih (Clean up, clean up),” “Daulat Tuanku (Long live the King),” “Allahhuakbar (God is great)” and “Hidup rakyat (Long live the people)”.

The Agong’s representative received the memorandum from the Bersih delegation around 3:45 p.m. The delegates included Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Democratic Action Party (DAP) Secretary General Lim Guan Eng, prominent DAP parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) president Dato’ Seri Haji Hadi Haji Awang, PAS Secretary General Dato’ Kamaruddin Jaafar, PAS central committee member Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad, DAP Seputeh parliamentarian Teresa Kok, PKR Secretary General Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and DAP Cheras parliamentarian Tan Kok Wai.

Bersih had enlisted almost 2,000 volunteers, mostly members of the Badan Amal coordinated by opposition party Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), to help coordinate the rally. Red Crescent and St. John’s officers were also on standby. A team from the Malaysian Bar Council and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) were also present to observe and document any breaches of civil rights.

It was a largely peaceful affair, except for the unnecessary violence that occurred at Masjid Jamek, one of the designated meeting areas. Chaos erupted when the Federal Reserve Unit fired almost a dozen rounds of tear-gas bullets and chemical-laced water at 2,000 protesters without any warning. There were also reports that foreign and local journalists had also sustained injuries from the tear gas bullets, water cannons and police beatings.

Police and protesters clash at Pasar Seni.

Some 4,000 police officers, the anti-riot Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and voluntary corps (RELA) members were stationed at each of the key locations. On Friday, the day before the planned rally, police had already started conducting roadblocks on highways and major roads leading into the city centre. Some buses carrying protesters from other states were stopped or ordered to return home. Anything yellow raised police suspicion as yellow was the official colour of the protest.

The heavy presence of the police at this event was due, in part, to the fact that Bersih’s application for a permit to hold a public gathering had been denied. There were several reasons given by the police for refusing a permit, including the fact that Bersih is an unregistered organization. However, Bersih stated that they are a coalition and need not be registered. The event was also refused a permit on grounds that City Hall had not given the organisers permission to use Dataran Merdeka, which was supposed to be hosting an event that same night.

Earlier, Kuala Lumpur police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin warned that participants can and will be arrested under Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 for participating in an illegal assembly which carries a fine between RM2,000 and RM10,000 and up to a one-year jail term.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, in his concluding speech for the UMNO annual general assembly on Friday, expressed dismay at the protest organisers who had planned to persist with the rally despite numerous warnings. He said that the protest was not challenging the government but the laws of this country and Malaysians who want peace and stability.

In the days leading up to the rally, there were also various attempts to sabotage it. Bersih’s homepage had been hacked twice, once on Sunday, Nov. 4, and again on Tuesday morning, Nov. 6. The unknown hacker had posted a message on the coalition’s website announcing that the protest had been indefinitely postponed. Similar text messages were also being circulated. One particularly hilarious one said, “The event is canceled because, I, the Agong am not around.” The government had also issue a directive to media organizations not to publish any statements from the Bersih leaders.

It will be interesting to see what unfolds in the coming weeks. Are we hopeful for electoral reform, particularly when the next general elections are looming?

To see more pictures, click here.

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CHUA SUE ANN is a contributor for theCICAK.

Sue Ann is an aspiring journalist, currently pursing a degree in writing. She just completed a BA in anthropology and psychology from Melbourne University. She loves photography, great ideas, strange things and mojitos.