10th November 2007 - Bersih!

I was there!

I boarded the Putra LRT in the Kelana Jaya Station at around 1:10pm, thinking to myself that I would have plenty of time to join the rally by the time I reached my destinated gathering point in Pasar Seni.

The journey was nothing to be shout about, just normal commuters until when the train reached a station before but near Pasar Seni, where I started to see people with yellow t-shirt underneath boarding the train.

The mood of these people are relax and casual, somewhat excited (perhaps nervous?) of the gathering ahead. Then when we reached Pasar Seni, around 2:00pm. We had to stop the Train door from closing 3 times in order to unboard fully from the train.

Outside the Pasar Seni LRT Station, the sky looked very threatening. Black clouds gathered, and it seems a heavy downpour is inevitable. Damn! I lost tracked of the group of people with yellow t-shirt underneath. I was wearing a yellow polo shirt and I wanted to go to the gathering point near the Pasar Seni LRT Station, but I have no idea where it is (for I'm not from KL.)

Checking my watch, it's 2:10 pm. So, I must still have time. Well, since Petaling Street is nearby, I decided to walk toward the Petaling Street and hope that I could catch up with the group.

The sky is pouring and I'm trapped in Petaling Street! Well, since I am to march in a rally, and it's raining, the only logical option is: Buy an umbrella! Duh! So, I entered a convenient shop, didn't pay attention to the shop name. Get myself a foldable umbrella and head back towards Pasar Seni LRT station hoping to bump into the rally, in the heavy rain.

Then, I heard it. The chant:"Bersih! Bersih!" and "Daulat Tuanku!"

My heart was pumping profusely, I felt apprensive. What would happened to me if I join in? Would I be hit by the fully armour riot police (We call them FRU in Malaysia)? Would I be arrested? My mind flashes back to the stern warning issue by Malaysia famous SIL, the IGP, and various powerful politicians. I was scared. 

The idea of retreating pops up in my head. But I decided that I want to at least see the rally. So, I head towards the noise, the chant.

There they are, many of them already shoaky wet, just outside the Pasar Seni LRT Station, heading towards Pasar Seni. Behind them, a platoon of FRU, fully armoured with their shield and baton and tear-gas-cannister launcher. Some even bearing M16-Carbine.  

I'm filled with emotion, the chants moved me but the presence of the police force has intimidated me too.

What would happened to me if I'm arrested?  Would the lawyers standby able to helped me if I'm arrested? Those are the thoughts that run through my head.

Too late to turn back now, I'm finding myself following the rally, unknowingly.

We walked passed several pockets of police officers in their uniforms, whom were consecrating at the coner shoplots. The front rally are chanting "Daulat Tuanku!", the FRU following behind were doing their baton hitting the shield march, sounded like war drum, intimidating but does have a nice rhythm to it, I must admit.

Near Dataran Merdeka, we come across a heavily fortified road block by the FRU. The rally organiser asked us to divert, the rally in the front was continuing chanting "Daulat Tuanku!" and bravely facing the intimidating FRU. While we at the back were enrouting to the Istana following a back route.

On our way towards the Istana, we passed by the Pos Malaysia Building, and several Pos Malaysia Employee gathered there and gave support to the rally. The mood of the rally now is relax and calm, I noticed that the rain has subsided, no longer the heavy downpour when it started.

The journey was uneventful, if there's anything to boast, it would be the meeting of a few well known political bloggers. They appeared worried and weary. One of them worried that the rally line is too thin and tried to get the people to march in a denser crowd. I could understand their anxiety, as the thin line is vulnerable and could easily be broken by any armed riot police or even police. But there were no presence of police on the road we were taking.

We did come across more presence of FRUs and Police force, but they were not on the overpass that we were using, they were on the road underneath. There were police truck on siren trying to get on to the pass but their progress were hampered by the traffic jam caused by the road block set up by the police themselves. By the time I have walked away, they have not been able to get on to the overpass.

Finally we arrived! My God! The turn out is huge! I was amassed. I don't know how many people were there. But the number is definitely more than 4,000 (where some would like you to believe.)

Now that I have finally reached the destination of the rally, we waited, and waited, and waited.

The police helicopter was hovering on top from time to time. I read some blogs counted that there were three but I only saw two. Well, I could be wrong.

Checking out the people present there, there are the olds, the young, and there are whole family there. One such family was of an indian family with an eldery lady sitting in a wheel chair being wheeled to the front of the rally with the crowd giving way for them to pass.

Most of the time, we at the back have no idea what was going on, we'll sit when there're people shouting "duduk!", then when there're roaring in the front, we'll stand up out of curiosity and eager to find out what happened.

I have completely lost tracked of the time, but suddently there's something happening at the back. It's Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, under some protectiong from a convoy of people moving to the front of the rally.

More waiting...

More standing up and sitting down. (Actually more like squating down for me, yeah not a sight to behold.)

Then, there's a hand signal signalling that it's time to disperse. Then someone shouted:"Masjid Negara!". I was confused. Many were confused. An old pakcik said to me:"Tu, cari pasal tu..." (That's looking for trouble...). Nonetheless, thinking that it's the organiser wish and probably they wanted to make some speeches before dispersing, I followed on. Many too. On the way to the Masjid Negara, it then dawn on me the sheer size of the rally. It was people and yellow colour everywhere I see. In the front and in the back. There're definitely multiple magnitude more than 4,000 people there. I wouldn't know the exact number, but everywhere I see, there're people in yellow.

Arriving in the Masjid Negara. One fella in red were telling the people:"Bersurailah, dah habis." (You can disperse, it's finished). Phew, safe and sound.

From there I walked to the Masjid Jamek LRT Station and board the train heading home.

In the whole rally, I was amazed at how well the organizer had planned the rally. It might not have been intended, but I must say, the Bersih rally organizer did appear to have hood winked the police and the FRU. But kudos to the police and FRU forces as well for the police presence I've come across were all exercising excellent restraint on their part. After all, in terms of fire power, they did win hands down.