Bersih 2.0 in San Francisco

By Robert Leong

SAN FRANCISCO - After the sun set on a historic day of unprecedented show of people power in Malaysia, one of the last of the global Bersih 2.0 rallies was just about to begin in San Francisco, on the west coast of the United States. This global Bersih 2.0 event happened in the shadow of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, a monument that remains a marvel to behold, and a lasting testament to man's ingenuity, sheer perseverance, and toil.

Close to a hundred Malaysians and friends travelled from around the San Francisco bay area to gather at Crissy Field in San Francisco, on a cool and foggy Saturday morning. They consisted of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Caucasians, from all walks of life, coming together with one common aspiration: to demonstrate their solidarity and support for Bersih 2.0. They brought with them three full-sized Malaysian flags and a banner that read, "We want clean and fair elections."

The main organisers, Chong Pin and Colin, welcomed everyone to the event and described how the event took on a life of its own once the decision was made to hold the event. More and more Malaysians living in the bay area began signing up for the event once it was announced on Facebook, a company based in nearby Silicon Valley.

The organisers summarised what had been happening in the global Bersih 2.0 events around the world, and spoke of the main Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur. Colin light-heartedly described the sometimes fog-like atmosphere in Kuala Lumpur, arising from the tear gas attacks by police personnel, as thicker than the fog surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge. Then came a sombre moment when the group spent a period of silence to honour Baharuddin Ahmad who lost his life when he sustained a fatal myocardial infarction (heart attack) when engulfed by tear gas.

A memorandum that elaborated on the list of eight Bersih 2.0 demands to achieve free and fair elections in Malaysia was read out aloud to the crowd. The group was then given the opportunity to sign the memorandum which was to be submitted to the Malaysian embassy in the United States. After the signatures were signed, the group gathered for a photo opportunity, following which it rallied along a narrow pedestrian pathway up to the bridge.

The rally ended with a free Malaysian meal and a charity collection, the proceeds of which will be forwarded to the Bersih committee. During the entire duration, the rally proceeded peacefully in a sea of yellow, observed by a few United States police personnel who kept the peace, and respectfully kept their distance, in the greatest democracy of the world.

It was an irony that this rally in San Francisco, and in the 30 other rallies around the world, clearly epitomised Prime Minister Najib Razak's concept of "1Malaysia": of Malaysians at home and abroad, united by a common humanity, yearning for free and fair elections for their homeland. Is this too much to ask, after half a decade of democracy?

Like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it is hoped that Bersih 2.0 will also be remembered for the Rakyat's perseverance and toil in overcoming major obstacles and threats placed in its path to building a golden bridge to a better tomorrow for all Malaysians.