In what would be an apt example of the government’s 1 Malaysia campaign, a mainly Chinese crowd dressed in yellow dined at an Indian restaurant here tonight in a show of defiance at the Najib administration’s clampdown against electoral reforms movement Bersih 2.0.
Some 50 Bersih supporters met at the PJ State Lotus Restaurant to share their experiences from the July 9 rally, discuss electoral fraud, and register as voters.
“Last Saturday was the beginning of a great Malaysia to come; it’s not an end,” said Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Wong Chin Huat in a speech at the dinner.
Wong said the July 9 rally was the beginning of a great Malaysia.
“We’re not an independent nation as long as we’re colonised by fear,” added the journalism lecturer, but also pointing out that a few people were wearing Bersih T-shirts.
The police have continued arresting those wearing Bersih’s signature yellow T-shirts after the rally, and have yet to release the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members detained under the Emergency Ordinance 1969 for their alleged involvement with the movement.
A deputy minister also stated yesterday that Putrajaya could via the central bank freeze the assets of those involved with Bersih 2.0.
“We’re looking at doing a yellow gotong-royong constituency by constituency every Saturday. Let’s bersih (clean)!” said activist Steven Ng to claps from the crowd.
Jasmine Ng, co-ordinator of the voter registration movement Voice Your Choice, called on Bersih supporters to spread awareness about the group’s demands for free and fair elections.
“Have your yellow parties (and) dinners. Talk about Bersih... your reach must (surpass that of) mainstream media,” she said.
Local mainstream press have defended the Najib administration’s crackdown on the Bersih rally, while foreign media have condemned it, with UK’s The Guardian going as far as comparing the Barisan Nasional government to ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
Film-maker and writer Linnaeus Chung told The Malaysian Insider that the Bersih rally has motivated him to urge as many people as he can to vote.
Fatima says Bersih is about rights and not political parties.
“The election is the core of everything. It’s how we decide who’s in government and it’s also how we decide what are the policies that are in place,” said Chung at the dinner, where he had brought his friend’s yellow Burmese pet python and called it “Bersih”.
He added that he cried even before the police’s tear gas hit him at the rally, saying: “I’ve never experienced true unity until that day... there was only Bangsa Malaysia that day.”
Scriptwriter Fatima Abdul Kareem said she did not attend the Bersih rally due to personal problems, but stressed: “We don’t need to go to the rally to support the concept of Bersih.”
“The concept of Bersih started with demanding for fair elections; it has now expanded to people’s rights,” added the 35-year-old woman dressed in a yellow blouse.
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The beauty of it is, every one who were in Yellow today, supporting the idea, came upon free will and hoping for greater Malaysia in future, many races but united under one common colour, Yellow.
A breath of fresh air to the people of Malaysia! The sun is yellow, the sunflowers are yellow, an egg yolk is yellow, so as the people's power is YELLOW! Yellow Yellow, champian heros!!!
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