APRIL 28 – Bersih 3.0 is over, cut short by teargas and water cannons
raining on those converging at Dataran Merdeka today. Thousands of
Malaysians surrounded the square patch of grass, once known for its
cricket, but now garlanded by barbed wires, fencing, plastic barriers
and guarded by riot police and policemen.
It was supposed to be a peaceful sit-in, and for hours, it was. Until
some people apparently went through the barricades of a public square
barred to the public. The riot police snapped to action and plumes of
teargas wafted through the air and streams of jet from water cannons
rained on the people. And mayhem ensued.
Now, who do we blame for this? The authorities for not learning the
lessons of Bersih 2.0? Bersih people for being hijacked by politicians?
Who else can we blame?
The authorities have made up their minds about this. From yesterday,
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein briefed mainstream media editors and
told them the government had done its best to have a peaceful rally.
They offered Stadium Merdeka, the venue that was denied to Bersih 2.0.
The Home Minister warned that the police would have to guarantee
security if things went out of hand, saying that there were politicians
out to hijack the movement. This was after the police got court order
that turned every Malaysian a persona non grata at Dataran Merdeka,
where the British Union Jack was lowered down for the last time on our
soil in 1957.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman told the same story to the
foreign press yesterday. That the government had bent over backwards but
the Bersih organisers were obstinate. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Razak said the same thing today too in Kuching, far away from Ground
Zero in Dataran Merdeka. Funny, there were no untoward incidents in
other cities in Malaysia or across the world.
Only in Dataran Merdeka. Where pandemonium broke out. Where Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim and a host of other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders
turned up. So, naturally, they get the blame.
Of course, the mainstream media has picked on this and have blamed
these political leaders for what happened around Dataran Merdeka today.
It is easy and convenient to say that they were behind the chaos.
Simple
mathematics really, a huge crowd facing rows of policemen under the hot
sun plus opposition politicians and what do you get? Chaos.
Except, the riot police didn’t really have to fire teargas and water
cannons repeatedly and chase people until 7pm. The authorities didn’t
have to put up roadblocks or stop LRT trains from taking or dropping
passengers at the several LRT stations in the vicinity.
It was a peaceful assembly outside the zone barred by law. The crowd
was young and old, from all walks of life. They wanted to show they
cared for a clean and fair election that would benefit everyone,
especially the politicians.
However, the police decided otherwise. They decided to rain on the
people’s parade and conveniently, the establishment can blame Anwar for
it. As easy as that.
But they will have to account for the streams of Instagrams, Facebook
photographs and videos uploaded since this morning to reinforce their
innocence or guilt. The people know better.
We know who to blame for today's mayhem. We know who to vote for in
the next general election. The ones who stopped us from sitting down,
the ones who sprayed gas and water at us because we cared for Malaysia’s
future won’t get our vote but our eternal damnation.
So go on and blame Anwar and the rest. We know better.
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