Call it what you will, but I insist that we are living in an exciting moment in our political history. Arguably, 'challenging moment' may be more appropriate.

The relentless and realistic optimist in me chooses this term despite knowing full well that we are in the worst of our times where every critical institutions of the state, including the judiciary, are severely compromised.

Could we degenerate further? Yes. So what is so exciting? The prospect of reform and change, should we wish to pursue it.

Doubtless, if the majority of us insist to remain docile and submissive, in a nation that patronises 'spectator democracy', (borrowing from Noam Chomsky), we will all be doomed to the abyss of decadency.

But what about reform? Well, it comes with a price. It will not be offered on a silver platter, never mind the two mammoth gatherings by Bersih and then Hindraf, happening in quick succession in a course of last month.

If you're one of those still perplexed, now wondering and insisting that you should know what has become of this distressed nation, then you're not alone. You are part of the ground-swell for change and reform. It is increasing slowly, yet surely. It is this 'awakening' that is most exciting.

That was precisely the reason why, the organisers of both events insisted that they be given their democratic rights to a peaceful assembly as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, so as to inform the public, nay the entire world, of their endless quandary and now their demands.

The street is the 'people's assembly' where they can be seen and heard albeit not without its risks. That's the price.

These two watershed events, though seemingly unrelated, bore major similarities on closer examination. They are both offshoots of a regime that has long been in denial. They met with the same fate in the manner that they were strongly suppressed. While Bersih is all out pressing for electoral reforms before the 12th general election (GE), the Hindu Rights Action Force is calling for empowerment of the Hindu community by ending both racial and religious discrimination.

Under the rubric of national peace and security, coupled with the alleged fear of investors over such gatherings, participants of both events were greeted with wanton use of force, tear gas and chemical-laced water. The 'victims' were diabolically demonised as the 'perpetrators', while their predicaments and grouses never saw the light of the day in the mainstream media.

This piece may not be able to champion the cause of Hindraf as I'm neither a Hindu nor an Indian. But it doesn't absolve me of the duty and obligation to stand up for the rights of my countrymen to express their claims of being victims of injustice, marginalisation and discrimination, through democratic ways.

Suppression of democracy

As a member of the Bersih steering committee, I'll say my piece on the continued suppression of democracy. Should the Election Commission (EC), working hand-in-glove with the government, again choose to be in denial, Bersih's hope for reform will surely suffer a stillbirth. That would be a very sad day for Malaysia and Malaysians.

Judging by the Al-Jazeera's 101 East forum moderated by Teymoor Nabili, one shudders at the thought of democracy being left to the heirs of Umnopower. As if admitting what transpired from the earlier interview with the 'semi-literate' information minister was too humiliating for Umno, an immediate replay was sought, this time with the supposedly younger-brighter brand of Umnopower.

Quite unfortunately, both Khairy Jamaluddin ( left ) and Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz ( right ) got it all wrong from the start. The repeat wasn't about who could string proper sentences in English and who couldn't. It was entirely about professing an understanding of what constitutes 'electoral democracy' as opposed to 'electoral authoritarianism'. Despite Khairy's showy exhibition of his Oxford accent, his acumen wasn't far off from Nazri's insofar as understanding Democracy 101 was concerned.

This is scary to many a well-wisher of democracy - what will become of this nation when power actually changes hands? In stark contrast, the solitary voice of sanity and reason from Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, the human rights lawyer, effortlessly saved the day. That was exciting as it was consoling for the rest of us.

This brings me to the crux of this piece - that voters must decide based on an informed decision. Access to information is so critical and cardinal to democracy. Voters' access to information must not be stifled, just as much as candidates need to have equitable access to the media in order to communicate his policies and conviction.

Anything that compromises access to information and the contending parties to media will turn the electoral system into a sham. Isn't the media today covering opposition activism? Yes, but only for the wrong reasons like featuring them 'rioting' in an 'illegal' and 'outlawed' demonstration.

A truly free and fair press informs the public, holds leaders accountable, engenders integrity, stifles corruption and amply provides for a forum to debate on issues of local, national or global concerns by both the government and their critiques or detractors.

Are our media assuming that role? An emphatic 'No!'. It's only keen to 'manufacture consent' (borrowing Chomsky again) to placate grouses and hoodwink the electorate, despite the fact that many sins of omission and commission are now exposed.

Biggest blind spot

This is the greatest failure and the most debilitating of the government's blind spots. This regime has turned to be its greatest enemy by shrewdly and 'illegally' overstaying its welcome through fraudulent practices of democracy.

I recall that among the six demands, strangely by none other than the EC chairperson (now desperately hoping for an extension of his tenure), was the need for the commission to be "given power to ensure that justice and freedom be accessible to all (contending parties) in both the electronic and print media". He also strongly opined that election laws and regulations are 50 years old and "no longer capable of delivering justice to all" ( Bernama , Jan 8, 2007).

Many are also unaware that the EC admitted deleting the names of 180,000 voters from the electoral roll following Bersih's call early this year. In July, the EC again admitted that the names of 22,433 more voters were dropped when the National Registration Department didn't have their names as bona fide citizens.

The latest admission by the EC secretary - that assistant officers for registration of voters were found to have transferred voters without their consent before July 2002 - has again largely vindicated opposition claims of massive fraudulent practice in the 2004 GE. Scary? Scandalous? How many actually voted and put this government in office? God knows. Will we, the entire citizenry, take this lying down again in the next GE?

Bersih has enumerated four short-term urgent reforms and a longer-term systemic change that is worthy of this nation. We call upon all Malaysians to stand up to the task and challenge of reforming the electoral system so that we can proudly bestow upon our grandchildren a democracy worthy of Malaysia!

If we insist on remaining apathetic, it won't be too long before our grandchildren inherit a nation with hardly a semblance of a functional democracy and a thread of integrity. We would turn in our graves every time they 'curse' us.

Are we ready to stand up and be counted? Be an activist in Bersih! You wouldn't want to miss being part of this exciting movement in our political history!

DR DZULKIFLI AHMAD is director at the PAS Research Centre and a member of the Bersih steering committee.