Umno's Bersih phobia: Are M'sians a herd of wild cattle and raging bulls

The planned Bersih 2.0 rally is indeed becoming a historical sensation with each passing day.

A citizens’ peaceful assembly and march for clean and fair elections as guaranteed by the nation's Constitution and an act sanctioned globally as a tenet of true democracy and civil liberties, is suddenly becoming a phenomenal issue involving various quarters. In fact it is being made out to appear even nightmarish.

The repeated warnings site ‘threat to national security’ with reference to the announced rally . The Home Minister is convinced that it is too dangerous to have a mammoth rally of citizens parading peacefully to present their Memorandum to the nation's Ruler conveying their concerns, fears, hopes and aspirations for free and fair election that will only serve in the nation and Ruler's best interest.

The long arm of the law is being courted to admonish that since no permits have been issued, any such assembly will be deemed illegal. And that the draconic laws of the nation will take effect. If scores of thousands have to be detained under the ISA, so be it. And this has to be done in the best interest of national security.

Others including a 'jihad' try to muscle in

To confuse the announced Bersih 2.0 rally further, other quarters too now want to march the streets to express their own collective version of democracy and party politico-rights.

And to add to the tempo of rising fears, UMNO Youth too wants to throw in their fair share for a fight for democracy and as correctly enshrined in the Constitution with regards to the right to assembly, they will march – do or die. Only twist is they will not agree nor relate with Bersih 2.0.

And then you also have someone willing to do a jihad on the same day because what Bersih 2.0 stands for is against or undermines the very teachings of his faith.

So what do we all make out of all these?

One thing for sure, Malaysians must be a herd of wild cattle and raging bulls when they get to the streets in large numbers. It seems – from all the fears, concerns and arguments put forward by those opposed to the Bersih 2.0 rally, the citizens are riot prone and cannot be allowed to come together in large numbers.

And if they do, the police will not be capable of controlling these wild cattle and raging bulls.

Wow! What a strange set of species we Malaysians must be. Perhaps that is why we are also often labelled to the world as a 'truly unique' nation by our promotional manager leaders.

May 13

Seriously, the question is when was the last time that such a gathering of the masses did run amok and wild posing a threat to national security? When?

May 13, 1969? That was not a citizens’ march for clean and fair elections. It was a political party coup that set up race against race, was it not? Or have we decided to again re-write history?

During the Merdeka declaration and celebration in 1957, tens of thousands convened in Kuala Lumpur. The humble policeman then in his khaki uniform and simple baton and with little schooling, was able to ensure there was order and security maintained.

Today, some quarters seem to suggest that the sophisticated PDRM in their battle trained, fighting fit disposition may not be able to ensure that safety and security for the citizens, can be provided. And as such, to avert anything going wrong the march must not be allowed.

Now that is a shame. How can we belittle our men in blue? Have they not far surpassed their antiquated counterparts of the khaki-brown outfits? If they cannot even ensure a safe environment for their own citizens who want to march peacefully, can you imagine what a mayhem it would be if the millions of illegal immigrants assembled at KLCC?

The government must not fear its own shadow. Least, it must trust its own citizens. After all Bersih 2.0 is not about waging war against the BN government. It is about the very nation’s interest which the BN government has claimed to be caring for these past five over decades.

It is all about hope.

And “hope is that thing inside us that insists…that something better awaits us if we have the courage to reach for it.” (Barrack Obama, 2008).

Unless of course, if the government believes that Malaysians are all like wild cattle and raging bulls. Period.

- J. D. Lovrenciear is a reader and contribtour to Malaysia Chronicle