MARCH 6 — Let me be very frank with all of you.
It was never my intention to take up the hassle to organise this international solidarity in Canberra tomorrow in conjunction with the public rally #KitaLawan #307 back in Kuala Lumpur. Same as most of you, I thought it was really pointless organising the demonstration in Canberra partly because there is relatively little Malaysia diaspora and also there is a high proportion of government scholars. I knew very well that getting enough people to turn up for the rally would be an uphill if not impossible task.
Logically speaking, who would want to sacrifice their scholarship for their participation in such a sensitive/seditious/declared-illegal rally? To most government scholars, participating in public rally that endorsed by the opposition parties is tantamount to losing scholarship. No one is going to take that risk. It is always better to swallow it than explicitly expressing it out. Please do not get me wrong, I do not blame the government scholars because if I were you, I might not have turned up too.
However, everything started to change when one of my JPA friends rang me up few days after the imprisonment of Anwar Ibrahim. She questioned my lack of intention from my side to organise a rally. Despite rejecting her kind request based on above reasons, she ceaselessly begged me before I succumbed to her sincerity.
All this while, I thought I was walking alone until the phone conversation that I realise I am not the only Malaysian in Canberra who dares to speak up and fight against injustice. At the very least, I have my friend, who is not even a close follower of Malaysian politics, bravely stand up and fight for the right thing.
Just an hour ago, another phone call from a stranger (Malaysian) who resides in Sydney asking for information on our #KitaLawan rally. When he was informed that there would be no rally in Sydney but only in Canberra, he immediately promised to travel to Canberra (3.5 hours journey) to attend our rally. Despite telling him that we do not have high expectation for good turnout, he said “never mind, at least I try my best.”
You know what guys; these are the people who keep giving me hope, motivation for me to keep moving on.
Now I fully understand Anwar Ibrahim’s speech on the eve of GE13: “A lot of people said that I give you hope, but you are wrong, you are the one who give me hope”
After hanging up the phone, nothing could describe how touched I am.
It was really a wake up call to me, It reminds me of my passion in Bersih 2.0 and Bersih 3.0. I joined these demonstrations when I was still in Sixth Form. Despite receiving warning from the school to not attend the rally, I was too lazy to give a damn to their instructions, knowing well that it could jeopardise my STPM.
During Bersih rally, we were tear-gassed, water-cannoned with chemical laced-water, we were beaten, our rights were violated by the police. We were afraid, but we knew that those who stand up for justice will always be on the right side of the history. Same applies to tomorrow’s rally. Knowing well the fact that nothing much will change after the #KitaLawan rally where corruption and injustice will prevail.
Changing a government is a long process, nothing comes easy. What we need is to keep ourselves relevant, let our voice be heard, our rights must be upheld. For those of you who choose to stay ignorant tomorrow, that’s your choice and I respect that, but in future, please respect my decision to not respect you when you complain everything about the country and the government, You have no right to complain since it is rooted from your initial choice to stay aside.
No matter how little people turning up in Canberra tomorrow, it no longer concerns me, because I know at the very least, myself as a citizen of Malaysia who has conscience, who loves my country, make my voice heard in front of the Australian Federal Parliament that signifies liberty, freedom and democracy.
Please understand that #KitaLawan rally does not only revolve Anwar Ibrahim, it revolves the entire political persecution in Malaysia. Sorry to phrase it in a harsh way but trust me, Karma will, one day, act upon those who behave ignorantly today.
Hope to see you all standing up as a concerned Malaysians tomorrow at your respective cities. #hearthepeoplesing
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!!
* Sum Dek Joe is a member of Malaysian Progressives in Australia (MPOZ) and currently studies Economics at the Australian National University (ANU).
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
