Clean Hands

I feel compelled to write this.

On Saturday, 9 July 2011, thousands of Malaysians gathered to march in the streets of Kuala Lumpur as a show of their support and determination for free and fair elections.

I was not one of them.

The reports and accounts were horrifying and sobering. Mainstream media were painting the Bersih 2.0 rally as anti-government, and a calculated move to tarnish the country’s reputation in the eyes of the world.

But, then, the mainstream media is controlled by the government. A whole different story emerges when you read alternative media and international news. And, a pretty grim picture emerges when you hear first-person accounts of what went down on 9 July 2011.

Photos and videos have made their way onto Youtube.com, and I hope that many more photos, videos and first-person accounts are shared.

I watched, a silent observer, several Youtube videos from individuals and international news channels of civilians standing before water cannons, fleeing from teargas, and being groped, pulled, punched, kicked and manhandled by police officers.

I saw youths, grown men and women, even grandmothers, marching on the streets. I saw a man resolutely holding a small Malaysian flag in front of him as he faced down a water cannon.

I have lived in fear for my family for many years. Keeping quiet, keeping a low profile, because I was afraid of the repercussions to my parents and my family. I felt it would be selfish of me to take away what little stability they had at the time by pursuing what I perceived to be an individual passion.

So, like other passions, I kept it locked inside. But, actions speak louder than words, don’t they?

And, this article in The Malaysian Insider proved that the pen is mightier than the sword. And, it returned to me some of the pride I felt I had lost when I decided not to join the Bersih 2.0 rally.

Does it matter whether only 5, 50, 500, 5000 or 50,000 showed up? The fact that Malaysians of all races and cultures came together to speak as one and to march together already speaks volumes about the severity of the problem and the necessity to change.

The clampdown started a few days in advance. The roadblocks were distressing, to say the least. And, maybe, it did deter some from participating. But, many did participate. Despite the lockdown on KL City, many thousands participated.

And, each step they took was the sound of one more voice in Malaysia crying out to be heard. Each step they took gave voice to one more Malaysian who was too afraid, for his family, his parents, his children and his life, to walk with them. Each step was a testament, a promise – we’ve come this far, and we can go further.

If anyone wanted to see 1Malaysia in action, then take a good look at Bersih 2.0. All of Malaysia is asking for clean elections, and all the Malaysians marching in that rally stood as one.

Am I safe here at home? While others marched for my right for clean elections? To ensure that my vote is heard, and not discarded or discounted through means other than a fair and honest vote?

The Malaysians who so bravely marched on Saturday have spoken more eloquently than any other politician or representative of the people ever could.

By all accounts, none of them resisted arrest. They knew the risks and they went willingly.

For us who stayed at home, my struggle is this – are we unconsciously, through fear of repercussion, supporting a government we actually wish would serve us better? Are we keeping quiet even though we secretly support the official aim of Bersih 2.0 because of fear or apathy? And, just because we did not march, does that mean that we do not want the same thing?

We wash our hands of things. Does that make us any less accountable for what happens next?

My hands are not clean. I have allowed others to march, in my absence. No, in my predetermined decision to NOT walk or march alongside others.

Clara Chooi was right.

It doesn’t matter how many marched. They marched. And, we heard them. We saw.

It’s time to get those hands dirty. Roll up those sleeves. Get those fingers working.

Redemption is possible for all of us.

And, it starts with getting registered as a voter. You may have feared taking to the streets on 9 July 2011.

Don’t be afraid to go to the polling stations and cast your vote, yourself, in person, at the next General Elections.

We may not have marched with our feet on 9 July 2011. But, we can still march … with our votes.

Don’t let the march be forgotten. Don’t let the light of the struggle go out.

And, one day, all our hands will be clean.