When Bersih announced it would hold another rally on Nov 19, there was concern among its steering committee whether it would garner traction among the people.

There were several reasons for this:

Political fatigue

Malaysians have grown tired of the political situation and the never-ending 1MDB saga. Those who support the opposition are disappointed with the infighting among the parties, and their lack of direction.

What good are these rallies?

This is one of those often-asked questions. In the past, tens of thousands took to the streets with placards and banners, braving the heat or rain, the possibility of being doused with tear gas and chemical-laced water, and even being arrested. But in the end, little, if nothing changed.

The Mahathir factor

The opposition and civil society have been divided over working with Dr Mahathir Mohamad. They are not prepared to forgive or forget the past.

Lack of Malay participation

This was reflected in the previous rally. Without PAS, Bersih and the other opposition parties do not have the ability to mobilise Malays in the rural areas.

Given these circumstances, Nov 19 could have turned out to be a dud, and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak could have capitalised on the poor turnout.

However, as expected, some were not prepared to take such a gamble.

Therefore, Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos exploded on the scene, leading his anti-Bersih red-shirts with threats of violence and martial arts displays.

This fuelled the anger of the people, and might have convinced even those who decided not to participate in the rally to rethink their stand.

Even among the Malay community, there is growing resentment towards Jamal, given his crude language and violent antics.

Contrary to their original plans, Jamal and his supporters have helped propel Bersih into the limelight, instead of burying the movement.

Bersih and the opposition are now able to exploit this at the expense of Najib and the government.

If the turnout is huge, Bersih and the opposition would argue that even threats failed to dissuade Malaysians from expressing their disappointment with the ruling government.

If the turnout is dismal, the argument would be that the state and police colluded with a thug to instil fear among the people to prevent them from exercising peaceful civil disobedience, a right enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

If there is violence, the repercussions on Najib and the government would be far worse.

Either way, Bersih has won, thanks to Jamal and his red-shirts.