Buzz Sociopolitics Malaysia: GOOD, BAD and UGLY of BERSIH 3.0 Renee Talalla

GOOD, BAD and UGLY of BERSIH 3.0 Renee Talalla

May 2, 2012

GOOD, BAD as good as UGLY of BERSIH 3.0 Datin Renee Talalla

[received via e-mail]

Tired, exhausted as good as painful all over, yet we have to write this down to get it out of a thoughts as good as my system prior to we can sleep. So here is my comment of BERSIH 3.0 created during 11pm upon twenty-eight April 2012.

As law-abiding as good as not terribly dauntless comparison citizens, we had opted out of BERSIH 2.0 when it was banned, conspicuous illegal etc. This time, similar to so most others, we motionless we had to show a support for purify as good as satisfactory elections. Needless to say we did not expect trouble, yet were rebuilt for it yet salt, soppy towel as good as alternative equipment in a backpack. We were confident a throng would be trained as good as a Police restrained after a debacle of BERSIH 2.0.

At 10.30 am my husband, Bertie, as good as we took a LRT to Pasar Seni. Packed sight as good as a crowd talkative as good as friendly. From Pasar Seni during about 11am, we strolled past a Central Market afterwards along a dike as good as from there down to Jalan Tun Perak. Crowds were entertainment everywhere, a small station around or sitting upon kerbs along a road. We finished a approach by a really unenlightened throng near a dilemma of Jalan Tun Perak as good as Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to find a place where we could lay raised a small above ground. [At 70 as good as my father almost 80, if we had attempted to lay upon a highway or a kerb, we would have had gr! eat worr y removing up again!].

Anyway, we found a ideal place. Three steps, afterwards a pool of H2O next a H2O underline against a wall. Mostly occupied, yet people finished room for us. Standing upon a second step we could see utterly a bit as good as were additionally lay upon that step. One quarrel of people during a back of us upon a third step. It was cool as good as under shade. It was a perfect spot.

Crowd builds up, everybody was caring as good as disciplined

11.30; by right divided as good as a throng was building up by a minute. I'd say 80% Malay, a rest Chinese with a superficial knowledge of Indians. We were removing some-more as good as some-more squashed, yet could reason a glorious position. Very hungry by 1pm [forgot to pierce food!] yet could not pierce even 6 inches either way. we took pics. People as distant as a eye could see in every direction. Perhaps about 40 or some-more rows of people in front of us how dangerous this turned out to be later!

National anthem sung a few times as good as lots of chanting Bersih Bersih, Bebas Bebas etc. All really pleasant notwithstanding a intense feverishness as good as hunger! Chatted with a 75 year-old smiley Malay pak chik who had come that morning from Pahang. A tundunged mak chik near me had come from Trengganu. Both elementary folks, yet as good most difference exchanged we felt a down payment of being there in a common cause.

We couldn't listen to a speeches that were finished sporadically as good as as good most people in front of us to see who was speaking. But had great perspective of a WALL of Police confronting us along a front of Dataran Merdeka.

One small thing that spoke volumes about a discipline of a throng up till a be scared began: thousands were sitting as good as station pri! or to us , nonetheless hardly anyone smoked. we had review it was a single of a things NOT to do. That instruction was largely obeyed. Smokers would know how amazing that is; 3 to 4 hours of watchful with a certain grade of tragedy as good as excitement nonetheless such restrained!

Anwar spoke as good as left, afterwards all ruin pennyless loose

At about 2.30 Anwar finished a speech, reduction than 5 minutes, to most cheering, station upon a small raised platform. Could see him yet could not listen to what he was saying.

Anwar accomplished as good as contingency have left. Could listen to chanting BUKA! BUKA! BUKA! Suddenly saw frontlines relocating brazen towards Dataran Merdeka, only near where Anwar had been, as good as a Police RUNNING back. From a position it looked similar to they were really opening a separator as good as letting a throng in to Dataran. Everyone near us cheered loudly as good as happily during this miraculous development!

Suddenly all ruin pennyless loose. Without any warning [that we could hear], a H2O cannons dismissed as good as concurrently rip gas was lobbed right in to a thousands in front of us. we guess we were so distant during a back of nothing would occur a military would stop those who had left past a separator as good as a sit-in would continue or shortly be over.

How wrong!!! The FRU kept banishment a rip gas canisters many, most times right in to a throng no mangle to concede people to run away. Pop cocktail cocktail they went, fume everywhere. People using in every dir! ection t o get away. Hundreds came towards us remember we were a really during a back of line against a H2O underline as good as wall!! Nowhere to go as good as wedged in by hundreds of stampeding as good as panicked people. More as good as some-more who were gassed were entrance during us to get to a pool next a H2O feature.

We could not even get down off a dual stairs let alone get out a salt as good as towel etc. Panicked throng pushed us as good as a others upon a stairs down as good as crawled their approach over a bodies to get to a water. My father was prosaic upon his back, sprawled opposite a stairs as good as couldn't even lay up. we was pushed half in to a pool, backpack as good as all. we somehow managed to yield out of a pool, attempted to assistance him lay up yet couldn't. Too most people climbing over us. By this time a rip gas had reached us too. Blinded as good as retching, coughing. We could not breathe or see to get out of there even if we weren't being pushed as good as shoved backwards.

Police purposely trapped a people

After a small terrifying moments, a mass of people privileged as good as we got up as good as off a steps. With streaming eyes, coughing as good as spluttering, we attempted to get divided from a Dataran area. Stumbled a approach to a during a back of yet met with some-more rip gas entrance right divided from a Jalan Raja Laut area. Nowhere to run. How to disperse? Why were they trapping people by banishment from front as good as back? Such difficulty for everybody fleeing as good as not knowing where to run.

Seeing a distress, a small immature Chinese came as good as gave us salt, calmed us down observant 'don't run, only stay here, it will pass'. So we stayed put in midst of rip gas clouds as good as loyal sufficient a minute we put salt upon tongue a symptoms subsided utterly a bit. Then a small Malays who had taken retreat during a back of parked cars next in a small empty lot during a back of Jalan Tuanku Abd! ul Rahma n called out to us "auntie, uncle mari sini mari sini". We staggered over to them. They gave us H2O as good as some-more salt as good as were so caring. From during a back of a automobile we watched people using everywhere with a Police chasing them. We motionless we were staying crouched during a back of a cars till things cleared. Our companions all in a future left. We were alone in an scary sort of calm.

Finally a bunch of policemen came by as good as saw us. One immature lummox yelled rudely MARI SINI. My father walked solemnly towards them yet a lummox kept shouting during me. we afterwards walked solemnly towards him as good as pronounced softly, jangan bising, kenapa bising, itu kurang ajar. He looked similar to he would have strike me. Luckily a Police Officer came up as good as pronounced kindly 'come with us'. we asked, 'Will we be safe?' 'Ye,s yes he said, we'll take we out'. 'So tell your male to stop shouting', we said. And he did! The lummox walked off.

We were escorted out near a Dataran as good as allowed to go. The Police were everywhere escorting detainees as good as we were regarded with most guess by Police as good as onlookers!! We finished a approach to a Royal Selangor Club. The gates were shut. We had to produce a membership card prior to they would let us in. What a sight we contingency have looked!! Wet, red-eyed as good as bedraggled. Rushed to a restroom as good as got out of soppy bersih tees, dried a hair, [luckily we both had brought extra tee shirts.] Cleaned up as most appropriate we could as good as afterwards sat down to tea as good as sandwiches, initial food given breakfast. Good to feel courteous again!!

Young as good as Old bonded together to assistance any other

Now about 4 pm. Around five we motionless to catch a LRT home. Well, an additional drama! Cops everywhere outward Royal Selangor Club, lounging about smoking etc. Politely this time a single pronounced in Malay, 'sorry uncle all roads to LRTs cl! osed'. ' How do we get home?, we asked. He shrugged apologetically as good as forked down Jalan Raja Laut. Along a way, helpful people told us a only approach out was a commuter train. Sogo, Masjid Jamek, as good as Pasar Seni LRT stations were all out of bounds.

Quite a walk along Jalan Raja Laut, afterwards a stand up a steep hill, no real path, as good as eventually climbed over railings to get to a train. Couldn't use overhead overpass as roads were shut off by a Police.

All a approach we were helped by immature Chinese as good as Malays, pulling us from during a back of as good as boring us ahead up a hill as good as over a railings! Amazing feeling as good as worth a total nasty knowledge to knowledge this affability from strangers. The sight to Sentral as good as afterwards a LRT to PJ were jam packed.

Again a shared knowledge bonded everyone, immature as good as old, all pity what they had left by to a strangers next to them.

How brave we discredit a Young, a Women as good as a Senior Citizens

Everyone dumbfounded during a force as good as border of Police reaction only because a small had breached a barrier. Only during home were a aches as good as heedfulness beheld as good as felt! Far worse yet was a mental shock that a POLICE could discredit a lives of immature as good as old. They knew a throng was so unenlightened that shun was intensely difficult. They wanted us to disperse, so why trap people in a center by banishment rip gas from a front as good as from during a back of too? And why were they chasing after people perplexing to get divided from a rip gas?

Old people, women as good as young kids had to run for their lives. It was not an illegal assembly, as good as they had succeeded in driving a throng divided from Dataran Merdeka. W! hy after wards keep chasing all down a roads as good as a alleys? Why tighten off a LRT stations so people could not leave for home easily? So most unanswered questions. It didn't have sense.

But I'm so glad to have finished this an eye-opener of how Malaysia could be, no race or sacrament mattered. People came to a aid. Most touching were a immature Malay as good as Chinese boys as good as girls who attempted to assistance us. The most appropriate as good as misfortune of tellurian nature was upon display. We are okay. My father mislaid his towel as good as hat as good as had a small scraped skin upon his leg. It could have been so most worse. He got up as good as went to church during 6.30 this morning! All is well. So most to applaud about Malaysia!

We ourselves are changed forever reduction aroused right divided as good as if such a call were to come again from civil society, God Willing, we shall be better rebuilt to respond!

Renee Talalla is a denunciation teacher who is married to a late part of of a Malaysian Diplomatic Service. Her father is a Malaysian Ambassador to a US in a 1990s. He is almost 80 as good as she is 70.