If not for the threats from the government, the crowd at the Bersih 4 rally should have doubled. Nevertheless, at 3pm with about 25,000 supporters there, as reported by Channel News Asia TV news update on 29/8 and about an hour later there were 35,000, excluding those who had gathered in Brickfields and Petaling Street.

However, altogether there were, some say, 80,000 supporters around Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka) and downtown.

On ground zero there were thousands of army and police personnel standing by for action if the crowd become violent or unruly that would jeopardise peace and stability. This would have given the government the opportunity to declare a state emergency and the power to declare a curfew.

This in itself is to dissuade supporters making their way to the event.

However, looking at the turnout, these did no deter them.

The police are happy that the rally started and ended for the day (Aug 29) peacefully. Well, this proves that Bersih 4 organisers’ words and promises that there would not be any untoward incidents at the rally were to the point.

Thus, the police should not discourage Bersih 4 organisers the permits from holding events/rallies at Dataran Merdeka or at Padang Merbok in Kuala Lumpur.

Also, the relevant minister involved or who has voiced out that the ministry will check on those who had supported Bersih Rallies abroad should withdraw the instructions, because why go so far when there were 80,000 supporters at the Aug 29 rally in KL.

The event on Aug 29 had also demonstrated that there is nothing to fear to see supporters wearing Yellow T-shirts with the words ‘Bersih 4' when there were 25,000 yellow T-shirts at the rally.

If it is illegal to wear a Bersih 4 yellow T-shirt, then how about when someone is seen wearing a Barisan T-shirt during election time?

It is so childish!

Oh yes! At 7.30pm Dr Mahathir Mohamad was seen mingling with the crowd and as you know he is a careful person, and so would you think he would show up if it was not safe at the rally?

The bottom line is because this time there was no provocation by party or parties who are out to create troubles, Bersih finally got the chance to show the police and government that they are capable to hold peaceful rallies.

By the way, there was a report of an isolated case in Malacca where a few people had been arrested for wearing Bersih yellow T-shirts.

And, most importantly Bersih has succeeded in getting the message for a ‘clean government’ across the globe, from New York to London, to Europe and to down under Australia.

The matter has gone viral or rather got the international attention and is now a global issue whereby ‘don’t play, play’, that means the government should do the needful and not sweep it under the carpet.

NOTE: This is written at 1.30pm on Sunday Aug 30, 2015, that is, while the second day Bersih rally is still ongoing. By the way and understandably, at 12.45pm the crowd had reached 30,000. So far the rally remains peaceful. Hopefully like yesterday, the rally will end peacefully as well.

LAU BING is a community activist and writer in Subang Jaya.