It’s been 3 days since Malaysians from all walks of life took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand electoral reforms.
I wasn’t there, but I don’t feel any less proud of my fellow Malaysians who stood up for what’s right. As I followed the endless live tweets and FB updates, I felt an emotion I’ve never felt before… I think I felt proud to be Malaysian – for the first time ever.
Many have said that Bersih 2.0 will not change anything – the government will still be corrupt, they will still buy votes, and the upcoming election will see the same phantom voters that popped up in the previous polls.
I beg to differ.
Because for me, Bersih 2.0 has changed us, the people. It gave us hope. It woke us up. It enlightened a long apathetic generation that democracy is not just about choosing our leaders once every 4 or 5 years, but also about active participation in the day-to-day governance of the country. We have been taking our nation for granted for far too long. We have closed one eye to the blatant corruption for years, and enough is enough! It’s time we showed that we, as a people, are better than our current crop of shameful leaders. And we deserve better.
So I hereby salute my fellow countrymen who had the courage to walk for the nation. Hopefully we won’t need a Bersih 3.0. But if we did, I’ll be there.
Being smubbly is fun 