From a no-good overseas M'sian bum: Bersih through the eyes of apathy

It’s been over a week since the Bersih 2.0 rally took place on July 9th, but the event and its aftermath are still dominating Malaysia’s media, conversations and thoughts, and rightly so.

I found out about the rally on the Saturday it took place, all the way from Greece. I was mooching off the Internet of a café in the Thessaloniki airport, feeling quite sorry for myself for having missed my flight back to England by cleverly forgetting which day of the week it was, you know, as we all do.

A slew of Facebook status updates with “Casualty at Bersih rally” and “Over 1,000 arrested at protest” and “What next, Malaysia?” wasn’t what I had expected to see from my friends from home after 2 weeks of being virtually isolated from anything outside of mythological Greece. A sense of familiarity and dread quickly overtook my slightly vacant state of mind- a result of too much sun and sea. The pit of my stomach churned as I read article after article describing the rally and its violence, reminiscent of those in Greece, Libya and Egypt.

It felt surreal reading about the rally’s intensity on international news; I had always assumed that the dissatisfaction of Malaysia’s people was suppressed by an even greater sense of apathy. An online portal once quoted the secretary-general of the Malay Supremacy, Perkasa saying, “The Chinese, the Indians, they like to leave the country, they are used to (it)...” And I suppose that’s true. Over time, a sense of “learned helplessness” had developed in Malaysia. “Nothing ever changes, so why bother?” is the society’s mantra, and the Malaysian dream is to leave; I suppose that is why I, like so many of my peers, am here overseas, and not back home.

Would I have gone

At this point I found myself wondering if I had been home, whether I would have been at that rally. None of my family was, for which I breathe a sigh of relief. The Bersih 2.0 rally, organised by the opposition parties along with several NGOs, while having been accused as political propaganda, nevertheless stood for the ideals of many Malaysians- clean and fair elections; the possibility for change. When it comes down to it though, would I have been wearing the yellow Bersih t-shirt, lost amidst the crowd of thousands as a united voice of the people? The answer, sadly, is No.

I grew up loving Malaysia. It is a country of warm sunshine and passionate thunderstorms, and there is an intricate blend of cultures so intrinsic to our lives that it is at times difficult to peel apart, not to mention our plethora of amazing foods. As I said, I love the country, but its land has never been mine to fight for.

Over the years there has grown a general sense of apathy in our society. Those who don’t know any better don’t demand any better, and those who do, know to leave. Through the concept of the Bumiputera status given exclusively to Malays, and the extra rights that come with it, the rest of us learnt early on to feel like guests in our own homes.

Perhaps this is the greatest failing of the Malaysian people, and possibly the greatest triumph of the government. Not its corruption nor its inequality, but this crippling sense of apathy it has instilled in the people, and the loss of their will to even fight for their rights, their ideals, their country. But maybe I had written them off prematurely.

July 9, a pivotal date?

Politics in Malaysia have always been a sore topic of conversation, creating rifts and conflicts amongst its citizens. Its ethnoreligious political system, complete with bald-faced government corruption, crime scandals and their subsequent cover-ups (see the case of Altantuya) parades itself as “Moderate Malaysia”, shamelessly exploiting our rich blend of cultures in tourism as “Malaysia, Truly Asia”, while treating non-Muslims as second-class citizens.

Furthermore, corruption is prevalent not only in the dealings of our political leaders, but is even more pervasive on the streets of the country’s beautifully modern capital, Kuala Lumpur. It is common knowledge for all those who have lived here for more than a month that bribes are routine occasions when caught in sticky traffic situations. For speeding, most officers would be happy to accept RM 20 as “settlement”, although this of course depends on essential factors such as what car you’re driving and how fat your wallet looks, cases in which the appropriate fee could range from RM 10 to RM 50. More than once I have been advised to “hide all money except 10 ringgit” to get the best deal. Moreover, while in most places being a pretty girl could be advantageous to sneaking out of these tight spots, in Malaysia it is the Muslim men who triumph. When a Malay friend who had been speeding was stopped, the police took only one look at his Muslim name, confirmed that he was indeed Malay, and waved us off.

Stories like these are a dime a dozen at home, and as locals we listen and relate with weary humour. My friends and I speak of it lightly, joking about the ineffectuality of the police and admittedly often times using it to our advantage, relieved at what we can get away with so easily. Under the surface, however, these trivial and not so trivial incidents of corruption and inequality have amalgamated, each building on the other’s injustice, finally culminating in the breaking point that was the rally of Bersih 2.0.

Apathy

Is it possible that the reign of apathy we have so long been shackled to is finally over? More than 10,000 people attended the protest despite it being illegalised by the government. While not remotely suggesting that the opposition is free from corruption, or that they would uphold our rights and ideals any better, many would hail this rally as the beginning of the people’s fight for real democracy in our country. Our political system is one that is archaic. It is time for a more transparent and secular organisation, and for first world ideals to prevail. Afterall, that is the vision, the farce we grew up with in this country’s capital, which holds a beautiful city of skyscrapers to rival the first world. It is time our politics reflected this modernity.

It is now that we need to realise we are not helpless; that we do have a voice, and that it is our responsibility as Malaysians to fight for our rights, our ideals, our country.

Nevertheless, perhaps many would caution against being overly optimistic about the possibility of change; after all, what change has the Obama administration achieved so far? Judging from the way the rally was received and handled by the government- teargas, water jets and unprovoked police aggression, the current administration will not be going down without almost certainly a dirty fight. And even if the opposition does prevail, their administration is far from transparent and even further away from secularism.

As such, while the Bersih 2.0 rally should be commended as an awakening of the people to our rights and responsibilities as Malaysians, there will probably be a long way to go before Malaysia matures into the fair, transparent government its people need it to be. That is, if this initial passion doesn’t end up turning into yet another pipe dream.

Or is this just apathy speaking?

- Malaysia Chronicle