Together, we will make history

I want to tell you a story.

In a land far away, people of different races live under the same roof. A quiet calm is in the air: a watershed event is about to happen and it could change the course of history.

Since the prime minister came into office, the people had not been happy. They know about how 1MDB had depleted the national coffers. The harvest in the land is turning scarce and oil is running out.

1MDB is faced with a debt of RM42 billion. No one knows where the money went. Someone in the US said the money was spent on luxurious penthouses, holidays, jewellery, and everything shiny and expensive. But they didn’t say who took the money. They just said it was “MO1”.

One day, the prime minister introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Everything became expensive. It used to be that only 10 percent of the population had to pay taxes, now 100 percent of people had to. Prices of ikan kembung, red chillies, tomatoes, long beans all skyrocketed. In 2017, the total revenue collected from GST was the same as what 1MDB owed—a bad omen of RM42 billion.

The anger of the people grew by the day. An international newspaper called Wall Street Journal said the prime minister and his wife had allegedly spent millions on clothes, shoes, and jewellery on an international shopping spree in Europe.

The people were mad and starving. They brought their grievances to government and said they couldn’t even afford fish and vegetables now. The government didn’t answer. The people kept knocking on the door.

The prime minister finally said: “Let them eat kangkung.”

When a violent flood hit the east coast, many poor people lost their homes. They called the government for help, only to find the prime minister holidaying at Christmas in the US, teeing at the golf course and enjoying the pleasures of shopping.

This is the trinity of the people’s plight: 1MDB, GST, jewellery.

An intellectual revolution is taking place beneath the still waters. The land is where internet penetration is the highest. Even in the most rural areas, a smartphone unlocks you to the world. Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter are modern-day pamphlets.

Everyone has read about the prime minister, his wife, and the trinity. They learned that we have to speak up to be counted. They learned about the values that are important in a leader and how their leaders are violating them. A video, once shared, will spread like wildfire.

But the prime minister wouldn’t budge. He said the government is not to be blamed for the people’s suffering. Everything is still fine in the house of 1MDB, GST, and jewellery. The prime minister’s family could still eat quinoa while the people only eat kangkung. The prime minister’s family could still wear diamond rings and tailor-made clothes, while the people could only afford a weary look.

So the people rushed to the streets in the scorching heat. They gathered together and clothed themselves in yellow. The chants erupted in a forceful rhythm of three: “Bersih! Bersih! Bersih!”

Power of unity in the morning generated light for the evening. Speakers spoke of people’s power and the crowd vowed to never succumb to oppressive feudal lords again.

They stormed the streets and reclaimed their land in an all-round readiness to fight for their freedoms. The government that they had known for nearly 60 years was being challenged.

An eager few pushed through the police barricades and were handcuffed and charged. A few brave souls were thrown into jail.

On Friday, Mar 4 2016, the people signed the Citizens’ Declaration in a small and humid hall. They listed their grievances: To remove the prime minister and those complicit, repeal regressive laws, and restore the integrity of their institutions.

They formed a coalition called the “Hope Partnership”.

From then on, the fervour for change became unstoppable. It quickly swept the countryside where even the agricultural settlers had started to mobilise with those in the city. They wanted to take back what is theirs and catch the man the world calls thief.

A rumour was passed from one person to the next: There was a tsunami coming to town. A tsunami unlike any they had seen before. Stock your supplies and pick a side. This tsunami was bound to be bigger than the tsunami 10 years ago, bound to be stronger than the tsunami five years ago. The inherent will of the people is the power of the tsunami.

They set a meeting on the ninth day of the month of May 2018…

Does this story sound familiar to you? That is because it is your story. I have deliberately left the final part out, because we’ll be writing our history in less than 24 hours.

And this time, we will do this - together.

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JAMES CHAI works at a law firm. His voyage in life is made less lonely with a family of deep love, friends of good humour and teachers of selfless giving. This affirms his conviction in the common goodness of people: the better angels of our nature. He tweets at @JamesJSChai. - Mkini