LAST week, more than 3,000 Penang youths came together to march against the DAP-led state government. We rose to the banner of “Pemuda Bangkit”.
After Zohor prayers, we marched from the Menara Umno building to the island’s high-rise, Komtar.
It is easy to dismiss Pemuda Bangkit as just another coloured shirt rally. Like other rallies, many believed we would just come, make noise and leave. But this rally was more than the colour of our shirts. We were black, but we were also red, green and white — all the same. It was our message that pushed through. As with the colour black, we were absorbing and accepting. We pushed none away.
For a large part of the media, the rally was easily categorised as just another havoc-seeking unsettled youth group. Another form of “Malay rage”.
In parts, they hoped we would get into a fight, maybe even get arrested to fit the stereotype. But none of that happened.
We obeyed police, protested where we were told to and respectfully, handed a memorandum to a DAP representative.
In essence, we were different from the rallies Malaysia is accustomed to. We exercised our rights within parameters handed to us. We proved it was possible to spread our message without having to stop the city and be of nuisance.
What we stood for was the complete halt of future Bersih rallies and for Lim Guan Eng to step down as chief minister.
For outsiders, it may seem hypocritical to hold a rally in protest of Bersih rallies. But let’s dive in deeper.
Bersih, as Malaysians know, is far distanced from its claim of being non-partisan. For a while now, it has been taken over by the opposition’s DAP and PKR. It is used as a political tool to segregate the community and ignite hatred between the races. It’s evident that the opposition uses Bersih as a culmination of emotional hatred towards the government, something that is more dangerous than is helpful to our democracy.
We don’t need a more hysterical opposition but rather an entity of check and balance founded by logic and reason. Many agree with the idea of clean and fair elections. It is a universal decree. But Bersih has lost its way. It had been deceived and led astray by opposition parties.
If Bersih really saw itself as a non-partisan entity ensuring cleanliness in our politics, it would have protested against Lim’s administration rather than welcomed him into its ranks.
If Bersih really stood for its beliefs, they would not have turned a blind eye to the opposition states’ conduct. How is it that the Election Commission is fair when the opposition wins but is corrupt when the Barisan Nasional wins?
If Bersih was independent, it would be concerned with aids of the opposition, from United States-based lobbyists, such as NED (National Endowment For Democracy) and NDI (National Democratic Institute). It seems curious that foreign institutions would be interested in the opposition. One must ask what kind of national interest the opposition is serving for these foreign investors.
But I guess Bersih itself has its hands tied since it itself had once been funded by the Open Society Foundation, founded by George Soros, who Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself had accused of trying to wreck Malaysia’s economy and democracy. The money trail reveals it all.
Perhaps, the most dangerous aspect of Bersih is its promotion of a collective refusal to accept election results. As outlined by the ongoing US presidential debate, a dismissal by the opposition to accept election results is not only detrimental to democracy, but it engulfs a future adamant on the refusal to work together across the political seats. Suddenly, anything and everything said by the government is seen as a motive to deceive. This is dangerous for our future.
Pemuda Bangkit also demanded the immediate step-down for Lim as chief minister.
The logic here is clear.
Lim goes around presenting himself as a warrior for the freedom of speech. He claims to work for the cleanliness of governance. But the shades have been pulled and we now see the true face of the DAP; the deceiving acting party, a group that talks about pure ideals but whose actions deteriorate the progress of our nation. They talk of progressiveness and liberty, but they continue to feed their core Chinese community supporters with racial lies that only spur emotional hatred towards the government.
In truth, of all the political parties in Malaysia, DAP relies heaviest on racial politics.
If Lim were really the man he presented himself to be, he would not have pushed out Teh Yee Cheu (Tanjung Bungah-DAP) who, concerned for the environment, voted for BN’s proposal that all reclamation development be subjected to a public hearing.
If this is the democracy and freedom of speech that DAP speaks of, I am genuinely worried for Malaysia if it takes over federal power.
Khairul Azwan Harun is Umno Youth vice-chief and an Umno supreme council member.