Malaysia BERSIH RALLY 3.0 28th APRIL 2012

I am lucky enough to be in Malaysia to join in a historic walk in support of BERSIH 2012! The BERSIH RALLY 3.0 which went ahead yesterday, started off with a good note. I met with my friends in Kelana Jaya LRT station and I have never seen such a muhibbah group ever. Everyone was smiling and calm as we took our train, which was quite full even from the first stop, to KLCC. Some of the commuters were very excited and looking forward to the duduk bantah as a way to show that they really wanted a change for the better of Malaysia.

We reached KLCC about 10am, and the crowd was already huge. There were people of all ages and walks of life, most wearing yellow, and a lot wearing their Lynas t-shirts or Bersih t-shirts. It was really wonderful to see so many people with a common goal, and everyone was helping each other put up green and yellow ribbons for anyone who wanted it.

I really forgot to take a time watch as I was just enjoying busy chatting with new found friends and taking photographs everywhere. We started our march close to 11 am, I think, and it was a more like a stroll amongst a really huge crowd. Some were singing, some had some home utensils to make music, and everyone was just walking peacefully, and taking detours wherever there were blocks.

 

We finally ended up in Menara Maybank, where we took shade and sat by the roadside. An ice cream seller came on his motorbike, and the business was fantastic as everyone was lining up to buy from him.



Close to 12pm, my friends and I decided to makan lunch and went to Petaling Street in search of a place to eat. We found a coffee shop and was lucky to get a table within minutes as it was packed full. As we sat down and ordered our drinks and food, some of the patrons was good enough to self serve themselves, taking their orders to their own tables when the drink or food was ready.

The air was filled with cheers and we could see the hawkers really had their hands full. Most food were sold out and we did not have much choices but it was the company that counted yesterday.

At about 1pm, we decided to rejoin the crowd and started heading towards Masjid Jamek LRT station. There were a few blue clothed police personnel standing under the trees, keeping an eye on the crowd. However, no tension was felt. When we got closer to the Masjid Jamek station, we could not proceed any further and was told to just duduk bantah where we were. I believe it was almost around 2pm then.

After a while, we decided to get a drink from McDonald's. We were shocked as we entered the shop, as the queue was so long that we had no where to move. Now, who says business will be bad for the day? LOL....business must never have been so good everywhere I looked, where the shops kept opened.

About 3.10pm , we came out from McDonald's and the tear gas were already deployed. The crowd started moving backwards, some running almost causing chaos.
Most of us ran round the corner towards St John Cathedral to take cover, but the fumes that flew over were burning and stinging. We were not even near the frontline, and yet we felt the discomfort in our eyes, on our skin, and in our nostril and throat. Luckily for another passerby who offered us some salt! I just can't imagine the pain and the suffering of frontliners, and all we did was sat on the road.
My friends and I did not stay till the end as we called it a day at about 4pm, and had to walk back to KLCC because Masjid Jamek station was cordoned off and closed.

I am disappointed that the police force did not learn from the previous year. I am more disappointed in BN for using such tactics and making excuses that this was a security breach against the country to make it seem right. More points to ponder?

The crowd that was out there yesterday were common Malaysians and as such had no political agenda, and do not deserve the brutal violence that was thrown to them. All MALAYSIA want is a CLEAN ELECTION which seems to have more and more dirty amendments instead of CLEAR TRANSPARENCY and OPENNESS.
I certainly hope fairness and truth will win soon and that Malaysia will become a better country than it has been for the last 50 odd years!

Thanks to all who allowed me to take your pictures and post them here. Before I end, I like to share the You Tube Video posted by ukchannelsss.