I came to Malaysia on June 14 with the intention of conducting research on race and government policy in Malaysian secondary schools and universities. The topic seemed to be the most rich and interesting at the time.

However, my real interests lie in political agency and human geography. So it should come at no surprise that I instead dove into the political scene. I met some really great people and got involved with the group from 50B. And you better believe that I was at the rally this past July 9.

I have written already about my personal experience at the rally, which was, by the way, fantastic. From reading various post-rally articles and Twitter updates, I think that people have already talked a lot about camaraderie. So I'm going to talk here about diversity.

From what I have observed in this country, diversity can be turned into real power if used well. At the rally, there were people of all races, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, the crowd was coloured with people of different political views.

The rally-goers were not a homogeneous group by any stretch of the imagination. Differences and disagreements did not keep people from coming together at this rally. And this is what made it seem more powerful for me.

The fact that so many different people came together to stand for whatever cause (for Bersih, for general discontent with the government, etc.) disproves the idea that the Malaysian population is plagued by inherent racism.

The numbers also disprove the idea that the Malaysian population is apathetic and easily deceived. People are really coming to desire change. And its infectious. In addition, not only are people desiring such change, but they are willing to take action to ensure that it happens.

I want to thank everyone who made this experience so exhilarating and empowering for me, and I hope to rejoin the masses for the next battle, whatever and whenever it may be.