In 2015, I turned 18 years old and officially became an adult. I considered myself qualified and took part in the two-day rally, Bersih 4, which was carried out from Aug 29 to 30. It was then that I felt like a true Malaysia.

When we sang our national anthem ‘Negaraku’ among a sea of over ten thousand Malaysians of different races, I could feel the strong feelings that were completely different from those I had when I sung it ceremonially in schools as an ignorant child. That was a ‘Negaraku’ in which we could feel the passion and the enthusiasm that the people of this country wanted to deliver to their common lover - Malaysia. This was the most exciting moment of how Bersih 4 ended.

A year later today, I also took part in Bersih 5. Since I took part in Bersih 4, I have collected the opinions of my friends as well as my own views.

I understand and believe that there is no perfect things exist in this world, and Bersih rallies are not something coming from the outside world.

I like opinions, especially dissent. Because I believe the collision of diversity and variety would bring us unexpected acquisitions. This is why I always talk over issues with someone who does not share the same views as mine, and I keep my sceptical attitude (even when participating in the Bersih rallies).

Discussions might become arguments from time to time, and a sceptical mind might lead me into a dead end, but it was exactly collisions like these which made me learn and gain from the different opinions and perspectives of the people.

A simple but significant question

Therefore, I picked two main frequently asked questions and combined them into a simple but significant question: Bersih or not?

1. Why should I go to Bersih? I’m a pragmatic person, but Bersih is not.

Many would think, rather than a Bersih rally, they would prefer a more pragmatic action, such as voting in an election, that is why they think of Bersih as relatively being a waste of time.

In my opinion, this kind of mindset and thinking is a huge mistake, from at least at two aspects.

A. Both pragmatic and idealistic elements can’t be separated in order to achieve a positive effect. Without ideas, you may not have the right to be pragmatic. The rights which lots of people are enjoying nowadays were the result of people holding fast to their ideas back then.

B. Bersih is pragmatic as well. It is a pragmatic action that promotes ideas. If the demands and appeals of the Bersih rallies can reach every Malaysian’s heart, we will soon see the ray of hope for Malaysia. Bersih is a rally that can enhance the basic civil awareness of Malaysians and it is necessary, hence it is pragmatic.

2) Why should I go to Bersih? This rally can’t even explain the ‘When, How, Why’ of the demands of the rally thoroughly to its participants.

Giving public speeches during the rally is a good idea, I suppose. A rally should not be just a bunch of people gathering for nothing, but some meaningful events or programmes can multiply the value of the rally.

However, it would have been better if the organisers had spent more time thinking about how to give a deep speech/discussion to every demand of the rally. Based on my experience in Bersih 5, politicians took turn to give speeches and stuck to the 1MDB issue and rarely discussed one of the demands of Bersih 5, ‘Empowering Sabah and Sarawak’. Moreover, they did like to shout out “Undur Najib!”.

I see the public speeches as a great opportunity to let speakers pick any one of the demands as their topic and brief about the reasons why it became a demand of this rally to the people who might not have knowledge regarding it. This thought came into my mind as I actually got into this during the rally - a friend of mine asked: “What is the rally demanding this time?” - I found out this was not merely his own problem but also the mistake of the organisers.

If someone participates in this rally and goes through all the speeches given, I bet they would know no more about the demands and purposes of the rally but the shout-out “Undur Najib!” - how could Bersih let the whole Malaysia hear its voice and demands then?

Here’s my conclusion - to conclude, all the issues stated above can’t become the reasons for not going for Bersih. From now on, do not think of the people participating in Bersih were just loitering, instead, think of yourself as a tiny yellow dot, the more of these tiny yellow dots, the more the government will be afraid.

Hence, we need more and more of these tiny yellow dots, in order to make the government realise they play an important role to serve the best to the people. Always remember, the day we lose the power to unite people, is the day we lose our country.

In addition, along with the improving quality of the Bersih rallies, the level of ideology of Malaysians will then be enhanced.

I hope that one day there will be a platform for a Bersih rally to convey their demands and appeals clearly and directly, and not just a platform for those politicians to lead the booing with people. And when Malaysians are not just booing at other people as they wanted to, instead, they think quietly when it is necessary, that will be the day Malaysia becomes great.