EYEWITNESS The great day of July 9, 2011, is over but the Bersih 2.0 rally, in a sense, has not ended. Stories of courage displayed in the face of unnecessary police intervention are still plaguing the news. Malaysians feel proud and are becoming more aware that change is necessary if the country is to progress democratically.
Bersih has left us feeling irrevocably and indubitably Malaysian, which is something for us to applaud. We, as a people, have never felt quite like this before. It was huge!
On that day, 709, the people were proud to be Malaysian! On that day, they did not just fly the flag. They marched in the face of danger and in the hope of ushering in free and fair elections. They braved and overcame hardships.
Now, Malaysians have a basis to work together to achieve true nationhood. This means thinking and doing things together; they know the strength of unity.
Ambiga Sreenivasan, the former chairperson of the Bar Council, was effective and steadfast in her resolve to make the rally a success. She gave us the opportunity to be the colorful people that we are: multi-racial and multi-faceted. But it must be done together, for the sake of our country.
On that day, I too took part in the Bersih rally. I saw an incident that has since turned controversial, as some people refuse to believe it is true. This story is about how the Malaysian police tear gassed the grounds of the Tung Shin Hospital, a private hospital.
Who would have thought that the modest and nondescript Hospital Tung Shin, still sporting its old-fashioned facade, would suddenly become the object of hot news today? Only Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai is refusing to believe that the hospital compound was shot with tear gas and water cannons. He is still in disbelief, despite many photographic and eye witness accounts.
It is true to say that the staff of the hospital were more professional and honest than the minister himself. They saw the tear gas and responded by barring all doors for the sake of the patients' safety and well-being.
What happened in the hospital grounds must be publicised so that Malaysians will be shocked and informed. Both these reactions must occur to ensure that such an occurrence does not happen again. A hospital is an institution for the sick and the ailing. It is a place that can almost be described as sacred ground.
Two facts stand out. The first is that tear gas came onto the hospital grounds. The second is that people who sought shelter in the hospital ground were tear gassed. Both happened at Tung Shin. The health minister and other authorities have displayed insensitivity and disrespect. They have allowed the morale and the good name of the patients and the hospital staff to be lowered.
The health minister should bravely apologise: to the patients, to the staff and to the public. Or he should resign.
How did I happen to get into the Tung Shin Hospital? I was one of the thousands riding the crest of the Bersih wave of goodwill. I was in the Chinatown area when the police decided to act. I suddenly saw tear gas smoke billowing and spreading. The action had begun. Tear gas and water from cannons were generously deployed and the crowd scattered.
Melvin and I (Melvin was among the crowd and a fellow SABMer, like me) decided to run with some rally goers into the inviting, open gates of the Tung Shin Hospital. The hospital was just directly opposite us.
Why did we think of Tung Shin Hospital? Only because Melvin had wanted to visit a friend's Dad and since we were so close, he decided to do it. I followed him, which is how I ended up there as well.
As we made our way in, I tried to rub the tear gas from my eyes but in vain. The gas makes you feel so down and out. The sting from tear gas is, to say the least, a damning sensation. I realised that this was a time to run, even if one had to do it blindly and non-stop.
Other stray rally goers were also running with us. We got into the grounds and the best gift that we received was a water tap! We hurried over to wash our faces and then made our way to the entrance of the hospital.
Getting past the guard was surprisingly not a huge problem. In times of danger, there is always someone around to help. The guard let us in, the impact had not disturbed his good sense yet. Then he barred the glass doors, with a strong table from inside. We were safe, inside. Melvin managed to convince him that he was urgently intending to visit a sick friend.
Even the kind hospital attendant, a talkative so and so, agreed to our coming in and gave orders for the doors to be barred. This lady was kind, we needed help and she gave it to us. She told us her duty was first and foremost to protect the sick and then anyone who she felt was in need.
What luck that she chose to be kind to us. She chatted quite comfortably with us. And so we settled there for a bit, while outside the police was still doling out tear gas and water on the crowds, mercilessly.
Melvin and I did managed to get into the ward after some questioning by the ward nurse. Apparently visitors were not to be allowed in that day. She relented and allowed us in, saying that we could not get out as the police presence outside was too dangerous. The hospital staff were not affected by what was going on outside and continued attending to the patients. Selfless people.
We spent 40 minutes inside the ward. All Melvin could do was try to wake up the patient, his friend's father, but he just was too deeply asleep. We gave up and went down again to the reception area. There was no way we were going out, so we watched the goings-on in the compound through the glass doors.
Minutes passed, then we heard shouts and suddenly saw a group of young PAS supporters, the women hooded, followed by some youths at the hospital entrance. They looked shaken, nervous and afraid of the police close behind. There was no way that they could enter the reception area, although they tried to.
They then ran to a corner of the compound, directly opposite us. The view was clear and we watched. They linked their arms, chanted slogans and some even started singing. I suppose it was to give themselves a bit of courage.
The olice fired tear gas into the crowd. People started to scatter, with no idea where they were going. The kind hospital attendant was distraught. She shouted to them through a small opening in the glass doors.
The group followed her instructions, or at least some of them did. They jumped over the wall at the end of the hospital compound. We saw some disappear over the wall. I guessed they had either fallen down or landed on the road.
We watched hopelessly from the glassed reception area. We felt guilty, just watching, unable to help. You felt like rushing out to these policemen and yelling, "Stop!" But none of us dared. We watched cruelty and just did not have enough guts to stop it ourselves.
The power-hungry police took action on defenseless citizens. This was what you call uniformed power. And it had an angry, yet useless audience. Could anything be more damaging and dangerous? This happening in the grounds of a private hospital?
One of the men, not in police uniform, came over to ask if the receptionist knew of any people from the crowd hiding in the wards. He was probably on the good side of the police, in a white and blue T-shirt.
At the same time, we also saw the police arresting a few youngsters randomly. They targeted a group and led them away, for no apparent crime at all!
I managed to get a few photographs with my newly-acquired, guaranteed idiot-proof camera. I share these precious few photos that I took with shaking and frightened hands. Would they be further proof for our disbelieving health minister? I do hope so, for the sake of the well being of our nation.
By now, the evening shadows were setting in. The staff and the brave reception lady were still holding the fort, after the mayhem had ended.
We, the happy few trapped people, were safe and sound. We finally managed to speak to one of the policemen on the grounds to find out how we could peacefully get to a train station to get home. Some LRT stations had been ordered closed.
We were informed that only a few trains were running. We were afraid and unsure if we should follow this policeman to the gates of the hospital but went anyway. There, we sought further help from other policemen. They asked us to walk along Jalan Pudu, but gave no assurances of our safety. We walked through the road blocks, with huge police presence on both sides of Jalan Pudu, with water canons and cocked guns of tear gas at the ready.
A monorail train was actually stopping in the vicinity in Bukit Bintang, Sugei Wang Plaza. It would head from KL Sentral to the Bangsar area where my parents home is. At Brickfields, we feasted on roti canai and a restorative glass of teh tarik at a thriving restaurant. There were many stray rally goers around who had escaped further Police wrath like ourselves.
The train journey helped us to collect our nerves. Indeed, I was glad that we had achieved what we had set out to do and that we were on our way home alive. Certain thoughts crossed my mind as I arrived unharmed at my parents' home about 7pm, feeling exhausted.
I arrived with a sour feeling, knowing the extent a prejudiced and government-backed Malaysian police force would go to in order to achieve its purpose. It would intimidate and terrorise docile people. A people who are gradually getting themselves informed. Thanks largely to the Internet and some brave, honest, and accurate reportage from news portals.
Bersih has left us feeling irrevocably and indubitably Malaysian, which is something for us to applaud. We, as a people, have never felt quite like this before. It was huge!
On that day, 709, the people were proud to be Malaysian! On that day, they did not just fly the flag. They marched in the face of danger and in the hope of ushering in free and fair elections. They braved and overcame hardships.
Now, Malaysians have a basis to work together to achieve true nationhood. This means thinking and doing things together; they know the strength of unity. Ambiga Sreenivasan, the former chairperson of the Bar Council, was effective and steadfast in her resolve to make the rally a success. She gave us the opportunity to be the colorful people that we are: multi-racial and multi-faceted. But it must be done together, for the sake of our country.
On that day, I too took part in the Bersih rally. I saw an incident that has since turned controversial, as some people refuse to believe it is true. This story is about how the Malaysian police tear gassed the grounds of the Tung Shin Hospital, a private hospital.
Who would have thought that the modest and nondescript Hospital Tung Shin, still sporting its old-fashioned facade, would suddenly become the object of hot news today? Only Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai is refusing to believe that the hospital compound was shot with tear gas and water cannons. He is still in disbelief, despite many photographic and eye witness accounts.
It is true to say that the staff of the hospital were more professional and honest than the minister himself. They saw the tear gas and responded by barring all doors for the sake of the patients' safety and well-being.
What happened in the hospital grounds must be publicised so that Malaysians will be shocked and informed. Both these reactions must occur to ensure that such an occurrence does not happen again. A hospital is an institution for the sick and the ailing. It is a place that can almost be described as sacred ground. Two facts stand out. The first is that tear gas came onto the hospital grounds. The second is that people who sought shelter in the hospital ground were tear gassed. Both happened at Tung Shin. The health minister and other authorities have displayed insensitivity and disrespect. They have allowed the morale and the good name of the patients and the hospital staff to be lowered.
The health minister should bravely apologise: to the patients, to the staff and to the public. Or he should resign.
How did I happen to get into the Tung Shin Hospital? I was one of the thousands riding the crest of the Bersih wave of goodwill. I was in the Chinatown area when the police decided to act. I suddenly saw tear gas smoke billowing and spreading. The action had begun. Tear gas and water from cannons were generously deployed and the crowd scattered.
Melvin and I (Melvin was among the crowd and a fellow SABMer, like me) decided to run with some rally goers into the inviting, open gates of the Tung Shin Hospital. The hospital was just directly opposite us.
Why did we think of Tung Shin Hospital? Only because Melvin had wanted to visit a friend's Dad and since we were so close, he decided to do it. I followed him, which is how I ended up there as well.
As we made our way in, I tried to rub the tear gas from my eyes but in vain. The gas makes you feel so down and out. The sting from tear gas is, to say the least, a damning sensation. I realised that this was a time to run, even if one had to do it blindly and non-stop.
Other stray rally goers were also running with us. We got into the grounds and the best gift that we received was a water tap! We hurried over to wash our faces and then made our way to the entrance of the hospital.Getting past the guard was surprisingly not a huge problem. In times of danger, there is always someone around to help. The guard let us in, the impact had not disturbed his good sense yet. Then he barred the glass doors, with a strong table from inside. We were safe, inside. Melvin managed to convince him that he was urgently intending to visit a sick friend.
Even the kind hospital attendant, a talkative so and so, agreed to our coming in and gave orders for the doors to be barred. This lady was kind, we needed help and she gave it to us. She told us her duty was first and foremost to protect the sick and then anyone who she felt was in need.
What luck that she chose to be kind to us. She chatted quite comfortably with us. And so we settled there for a bit, while outside the police was still doling out tear gas and water on the crowds, mercilessly.
Melvin and I did managed to get into the ward after some questioning by the ward nurse. Apparently visitors were not to be allowed in that day. She relented and allowed us in, saying that we could not get out as the police presence outside was too dangerous. The hospital staff were not affected by what was going on outside and continued attending to the patients. Selfless people.
We spent 40 minutes inside the ward. All Melvin could do was try to wake up the patient, his friend's father, but he just was too deeply asleep. We gave up and went down again to the reception area. There was no way we were going out, so we watched the goings-on in the compound through the glass doors.
Minutes passed, then we heard shouts and suddenly saw a group of young PAS supporters, the women hooded, followed by some youths at the hospital entrance. They looked shaken, nervous and afraid of the police close behind. There was no way that they could enter the reception area, although they tried to. They then ran to a corner of the compound, directly opposite us. The view was clear and we watched. They linked their arms, chanted slogans and some even started singing. I suppose it was to give themselves a bit of courage.
The olice fired tear gas into the crowd. People started to scatter, with no idea where they were going. The kind hospital attendant was distraught. She shouted to them through a small opening in the glass doors.
The group followed her instructions, or at least some of them did. They jumped over the wall at the end of the hospital compound. We saw some disappear over the wall. I guessed they had either fallen down or landed on the road.
We watched hopelessly from the glassed reception area. We felt guilty, just watching, unable to help. You felt like rushing out to these policemen and yelling, "Stop!" But none of us dared. We watched cruelty and just did not have enough guts to stop it ourselves. The power-hungry police took action on defenseless citizens. This was what you call uniformed power. And it had an angry, yet useless audience. Could anything be more damaging and dangerous? This happening in the grounds of a private hospital?
One of the men, not in police uniform, came over to ask if the receptionist knew of any people from the crowd hiding in the wards. He was probably on the good side of the police, in a white and blue T-shirt.
At the same time, we also saw the police arresting a few youngsters randomly. They targeted a group and led them away, for no apparent crime at all!
I managed to get a few photographs with my newly-acquired, guaranteed idiot-proof camera. I share these precious few photos that I took with shaking and frightened hands. Would they be further proof for our disbelieving health minister? I do hope so, for the sake of the well being of our nation.
By now, the evening shadows were setting in. The staff and the brave reception lady were still holding the fort, after the mayhem had ended.
We, the happy few trapped people, were safe and sound. We finally managed to speak to one of the policemen on the grounds to find out how we could peacefully get to a train station to get home. Some LRT stations had been ordered closed.
We were informed that only a few trains were running. We were afraid and unsure if we should follow this policeman to the gates of the hospital but went anyway. There, we sought further help from other policemen. They asked us to walk along Jalan Pudu, but gave no assurances of our safety. We walked through the road blocks, with huge police presence on both sides of Jalan Pudu, with water canons and cocked guns of tear gas at the ready. A monorail train was actually stopping in the vicinity in Bukit Bintang, Sugei Wang Plaza. It would head from KL Sentral to the Bangsar area where my parents home is. At Brickfields, we feasted on roti canai and a restorative glass of teh tarik at a thriving restaurant. There were many stray rally goers around who had escaped further Police wrath like ourselves.
The train journey helped us to collect our nerves. Indeed, I was glad that we had achieved what we had set out to do and that we were on our way home alive. Certain thoughts crossed my mind as I arrived unharmed at my parents' home about 7pm, feeling exhausted.
I arrived with a sour feeling, knowing the extent a prejudiced and government-backed Malaysian police force would go to in order to achieve its purpose. It would intimidate and terrorise docile people. A people who are gradually getting themselves informed. Thanks largely to the Internet and some brave, honest, and accurate reportage from news portals.
ANGELINE SANTHANAM is a KLite, involved in human rights matters. She is a true blue member of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and got inspired by the group as she feels they have a very clean and caring attitude to matters concerning the human race.
She fully supports, with SABM, the goal that Malaysians should march towards becoming One People One Nation. She does not support the mainstream media, but is a regular reader of news portals that strive to tell the truth.
This series relates eyewitness accounts of the Bersih 2.0 July 9 rally in Kuala Lumpur for clean and fair elections. If you were there and have an interesting story to share, email us ateditor@malaysiakini.com by Friday, July 22. - Malaysiakini
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