Bersih 3.0 428, the yellow tide

Kajang KTM station. Big crowd of people already
waiting for the train to arrive

28/4/2012. 10.30am. Kajang KTM Station. That was where I embarked on my solo journey to KL. Earlier I had parked my car beside some shops and from there walked the 1/2 km to the railway station. By the time I stepped into the station I noticed a large crowd of Bersih supporters had already gathered on Platform 2 waiting for the train to arrive from Seremban. Most of them were wearing the bright yellow colour Bersih T-shirts.

KL Sentral. People taking the escalator to Level 1

12.00pm. After 1-1/2 hours the train finally arrived at KL Sentral after leaving the Kajang Station. The train took so long because at each halt it had to wait longer than the scheduled time for the commuters to get on board. It took on more and more people as it stopped at each station. Packed like sardines with only standing space available I was glad that the train's air-cond system was working. After exiting from the coach I joined the hundreds of commuters to ride the escalators to level 1. After exiting from the KTM station I then rode up another flight of escalator to level 2 where the Kelana RapidKL LRT was to take me to my final destination- Pasar Seni Station.

The crowd at the entrance to the Pasar Seni
LRT Station

12.45pm. Pasar Seni Station. I saw a small group of people gathered around a circle clapping hands, cheering and busy snapping pictures. Moving closer I saw a frail and tired-looking looking old man standing on the floor flanked by two policemen, one on each side. With his flowing white hair and beard I immediately recognised the man as the national laureate Datuk A Samad Said and Bersih co-chairman. Even though it was the first time that I saw him in person he came across as a distinguished intellectual of great dignity and integrity. Then as I descended the escalator to the ground floor I was immediately overwhelmed by the sight of huge crowds of people, young and old, very multi-racial already gathered on the terrace. It was like a culture shock to me because for a very time I had not seen so many Malays, Chinese, Indians and other Malaysian interacting so easy going and harmoniously in one place with one another.

Carnival time. People enjoying each other's
company and just happy to be together

In the distance I saw some yellow balloons floating in the air and people singing Bersih and other patriotic songs and also clapping hands in an air of festivity. I liked what I saw and started to walk slowly and leisurely in the direction of Central Market. While walking I took in the colourful sights and signs of all the activities happening around me. People were every where, and seemed to occupy every nook and corner, eg on the road pavement, five-foot ways, under the shade of trees, shop fronts, planter boxes, etc. I saw all shades of people, young men and women, mothers and fathers, kids, aunties and uncles, pak cik and mak cik, as if the whole cross section of Malaysia was present on this day.

I saw Aunty Bersih from a distance but due to the crowd around her entourage busy shaking her hands and snapping pictures, I was enable to get near enough for a closer look of the this spirited senior citizen.

I saw a line of policemen standing in the middle of the roads linking hands as if to form a human chain. Nobody seemed to pay them any attention as the people just moved around them. I also didn't see nor hear anyone provoking them in abusive languages and gestures.

Street vendors especially those selling snacks and drinks were doing roaring business. Fast food outlets like McDonalds and Buger King and mamak shops were also filled with people having their meals. People were queuing up and paying for their purchases and I didn't see any sort of public disorder.

My impression was that there were more people going out to rally in Bersih 3.0 than Bersih 2.0. The place was so packed with people that I could not see from one end of the street to to other. And compared to Bersih 2.0 the Bersih 3.0 crowd was definitely more multi-racial in character.

In this atmosphere of open friendliness complete strangers warmed up with each other, each with an interesting story to tell. An Indian man from Brickfields who sat next to me while I was resting shared with me his story of how his family narrowly escaped death during May 13. A pak cik who had traveled by bus from Trengganu the night before came over to shake my hands. In his thick Trengganu Malay dialect he greeted me "Selamat Bersih!" Then there was this Chinese guy, a Christian pastor and a Bersih 2.0 veteran who kept on talking about God to me and at the same time repeatedly sang the Bersih song and Negara Ku. I saw so much goodwill all round that cuts across racial lines and although I was attending the rally alone I felt like I was part of the family of Malaysians.

Starting to march towards Dataran Merdeka

2.00pm. Somebody gave the green light to march. All the marchers then started to walk towards the direction of Dataran Merdeka. The pace was exceeding slow as the people ahead blocked those behind from moving forward and the marchers had to break their march with short periods of rests. However even in the scorching sun nobody was complaining, as there were high spirits all round.

In the meantime people started to chant "Bersih!, Hidup Rakyat!" etc and sang Bersih songs and Negara Ku. Some people waved banners and the state and national flags. As if on cue and without much probing the Malay, Chinese, Indian and other Malaysian marchers sang and clapped together in unison. Generally the atmosphere was more like a carnival rather than a rally for clean and fair election.

Duduk bantah

2.30pm. Sitting down to protest near the HSBC building in Lebuh Ampang. That was as far as I could go. There were just so many people ahead that blocked the marchers' path that it was impossible to go any further. So we all then sat down on the road pavement to start the peaceful protest. By that time I was exhausted from standing too long and the effect of the scorching sun, thirsty and hungry. I managed to find a tiny spot along a side lane under the shade of a tall building to sit down.

After resting and replenishing my strength with water and biscuit cream crackers, I then got up to walk towards the direction of Masjid Jamek Station. I went as far as Burger King beside the LRT station at Masjid Jamek.. Unable to go anymore because of the huge crowd ahead I decided Burger King was as far as I could go.

3.00pm. Masjid Jamek Station. I decided that it was time that I should go back to Kajang. Then just as I was about to retrace my step back to the Pasar Seni Station, I heard a great commotion. I saw a few people brought in a young Chinese girl who was in great pain with her two legs badly cut. I saw some PAS unit amal and Bersih volunteers applying bandages to temporary brace her bloodied legs and heard them calling out for volunteers to send her to hospital. I heard her friend telling the people that somebody stepped on her in a stampede after the police had started to fire tear gas on the rally protesters.

Terrified children crying after inhaling the tear gas

3.30pm. I saw a thick cloud of smoke hovering above the Masjid Jamek Station and people shouting and running helter skelter everywhere. I knew the tear gas attack had started and I was already experiencing some pain and tears started to flow out of my eyes. It was time to leave and together with other folks started to walk calmly away from the station towards the direction of Pasar Seni Station.

When I was walking along Jalan Benteng I heard a series of loud clak-clak sound. From my position I saw that the FRU who had occupied the bridge along Lebur Pasar Besar had  started to fire tear gas and water cannons at the protestors. Together with other people I began to run towards the direction of Jalan Sultan. By this time I was already coughing and rubbing my eyes due to the tear gas. Then on my right flank I saw that the FRU troops were closing in and coming towards my direction.

"Jangan panik! Tenang! Tiada bahaya!" Out of no where a Malay youth appeared  on the street and gestured with his hands for us to follow him. He took us through some side lanes until we reached the safety of Jalan Sultan.

Why fleeing the tear gas assault I witnessed many random acts of courage and kindness. Some people passed out salt to the tear gas victims and also water to wash their faces. The boss of a  restaurant that was still operating allowed the fleeing people to use its sink and running water to wash their eyes. Some people stopped to help a Malay mother to calm and comfort her two terrified and crying children with water and also offered them salt.

4.30pm. Arrived at Pasar Seni LRT Station. Many people had already gathered there waiting to get into the boarding platform. Luckily the management did not shut down the train service though the shutters were rolled down leaving only a small passageway for people to access.

6.00 pm. KTM station Kajang. Tired and walking with a limp from the station to the car. My right heel was aching from all the stress of walking and standing for hours on the hard road pavement. Wearing the black and soft kung fu shoes with thin soles for comfort it was almost like walking bare foot all day long. 

Although exhausted from the ordeal I was glad to be home and felt my spirits invigorated because on that day I witnessed and experienced in the easy mingling of people, the random acts of kindness and courage shown by rally participants and people from all the various ethnic groups of the nation marching shoulder to shoulder in solidarity the real 1 Malaysia. 


Hidup Rakyat
Hidup Bersih

Unstoppable sea of yellow. Hidup Rakyat. Hidup Bersih