Activist Adam Adli Abd Halim says the upcoming Bersih 4 rally will test how committed Malaysians are over issues facing the country. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, August 16, 2015.
Young people today may use social media to vent unhappiness but nothing gets the authorities' attention like coming out on the streets, said activist Adam Adli Abd Halim, ahead of the Bersih 4 rally on August 29 and 30.
The law student said protests are not something negative as they have brought changes around the world.
They are a democratic means to convey message to the authorities when all other official channels fail, Adam said in a recent interview.
Social media may be where youths voice their views about the state of the country but such networks can be shut down by the authorities and ministers could miss or choose to ignore the messages online, Adam said.
"The powers that be can choose not to read what is posted or they can easily counter them via the mainstream media. But when people come out in numbers, that will not be so easy to ignore or cover up.
"I really hope youths will take this opportunity. If they don't, they should not complain when things get worse... because when they were given the chance to speak up, they didn't," he told The Malaysian Insider in Kepala Batas, Penang.
He said Bersih 4, to be held overnight from August 29 to the following day in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, is a platform for young Malaysians to state their stand on issues affecting the nation, even if they had no interest in political parties.
"This rally is not about parties or about supporting any individual. For those who did not make their stand in previous rallies, they should take this opportunity. This is the time.
"Everyone is talking about issues like the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) scandal. For political parties, they may care more about the number of votes they can get but for youths, it is about their concerns.
"This rally will be the place to show the strength of Malaysia's youths. It is not about having the courage to take part in a rally but the courage to make and state their stand," he said.
The rally aims to seek institutional reforms as well as to pressure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to resign.
Najib has come under attack over the 1MDB scandal and the revelation that some RM2.6 billion was transferred into his personal bank accounts shortly before the 2013 general election.
"Bersih rallies have always been the platform to build a united front to bring change. The 34-hour rally this time just reflects the seriousness of the present situation.
"To me, this rally will also test how committed our society is," Adam said.
The rally will also feature activities such as public debates, performances and workshops
A supporter paints the word 'Bersih' on her chin during the launching of the Bersih 4 rally in Petaling Jaya on Friday. Organisers say the rally will last 34 hours, the first such protest event in Malaysia. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, August 16, 2015.
Maria said Bersih had also given formal notice to the police of the rally, as required by law.
Adam said he anticipated police action during the rally, noting that police had detained people, including himself, before past rallies such as the #TangkapNajib protest in Kuala Lumpur on August 1.
"That demonstration was on a smaller scale than what Bersih 4 will be, but we already saw how the police reacted by taking harsh measures, such as arresting and investigating protest participants under Section 124B of the Penal Code."
That law, Section 124B, covers activities that threaten parliamentary democracy, with those charged facing a jail term of up to 20 years.
"What happened showed that demonstration is something the government is afraid of.
"It is an irony... Malaysia praised protestors elsewhere before, but back home the government says no to demonstrations," he said.
Adam and two others, Syukri Ab Razab and Mandeep Singh, were detained on July 31 after a press conference by organiser Demi Malaysia to announce the #TangkapNajib rally. They were released after the high court reduced their remand period.
The following day, police arrested a further 29 people and reportedly rounded up protestors even before the demonstration began.
"So, we can expect the same measures to be taken. But even if the police detain the key people who mobilise the crowd, I think Bersih 4 will proceed and become a success.
"It was like that with Bersih 2, where dozens of people were taken in. It went on and it was a successful rally," Adam said.
- TMI
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