20th September 1998-the beginning

Sabri Zain

FLASHBACK SEPTEMBER 20 September 20, 1998 will for a long time be remembered as the day when Malaysians shed their fear of anti-government demonstrations. 18 days after Anwar Ibrahim was unceremoniously sacked from the second most powerful position in the government on vile charges, he was arrested by masked police personnel at his Bukit Damansara residence. Hours earlier, he led one of the largest gatherings that modern Malaysia had ever seen. Knowing his arrest was imminent on that day, he addressed people at the National Mosque's compound, and for the first time publicly called for his mentor-turned-nemesis Dr Mahathir Mohamad's resignation. It was during those days that wildlife preservation activist SABRI ZAIN (right) joined a budding community of independent writers, exploiting the growing power of the Internet to document the goings-on in the tensed streets of Kuala Lumpur. * * * I'm bad with numbers - so I can't tell you how accurate Internet reports were of over 100,000 people being at the anti-government rally today. It certainly was very easily in the tens of thousands. Numbers are pretty difficult to tell when the whole stretch of the road from Independence Square to the National Mosque was an ocean of people, spilling into the side streets, into the mosque compound, and into the nearby Islamic Centre and Railway Station. They had apparently been told to move from Independence Square, so the crowd proceeded to the National Mosque and gathered in the compound facing the Islamic Centre. To their credit, the police kept a low profile, and the crowds behaved peacefully. It was a mixed bag of people - families, students, yuppies - of all races, though the majority was Malay. It was heart-warming to see this 60-year old Chinese pensioner standing next to me punching his fist into the air and shouting "Reformasi!". Who says it is only the young who want change? Anwar Ibrahim arrived at about 4:30 p.m. to deafening cries of "Reformasi!". They didn't have a proper public address system, so he had to use a hand-held loud-hailer. He played the fiery orator to the hilt - but the person who won me heart and soul was his wife Wan Azizah. She was a tower of strength by his side - and when she spoke it was electric. She had all the passion of a woman whose husband had been wronged and the calm determination of the righteous confronting the full forces of darkness. There was a moment of tension when someone shouted that there was a TV3 crew around, and a few rowdies pelted them with empty drink packets, to shouts of "Penipu!" (Liars!) "Anjing!"(Dogs!). I, unfortunately, only had a glass Coke bottle, and I didn't want to accidentally hurt anyone! But Anwar ordered them to calm down, quipping "Let them do their job ... I definitely know that this particular crew secretly supports me!" The crowd proceeded to Independence Square after that - no one could stop them now, there was a virtual sea of people. From the theatre stage of Independence Square, Wan Azizah again spoke, delivering the Pledge of September 20th. "We who are gathered here in Kuala Lumpur pledge to defend the freedom and sanctity of the nation to the last drop of our blood … we resolve to revive the spirit of freedom … we will not suffer injustice and oppression in the land … we will not suffer the replacement of foreign oppressors with those raised from among ourselves … we oppose all cruel and oppressive laws which deny the people their fundamental rights and freedoms … we denounce those who corrupt our system of justice … we denounce corruption, abuse of power and the conspiracy devised by a greedy elite to blind the people to the truth in order to maintain their grip on power and wealth " "We raise the spirit of freedom! We are united against oppression! We are united in our resolve to establish justice! Long live the people! Give victory to Reform! We demand the resignation of Dr Mahathir Mohamad!" She was even more electric than at the mosque. After a thunderous cry of "Reformasi!" from the crowd, she asked everyone to disperse peacefully. I think we are seeing a real leader come out from the wings - they say real character emerges during adversity and it is then that the best comes out of people. Whatever happens to Anwar, Wan Azizah has my unreserved vote. Definitely First Lady material, maybe even first woman Prime Minister material too! Today's rally was also, personally, a nostalgic experience. Twenty-four years ago, in 1974, I was a young 15 year-old schoolboy going to what was then the Selangor Library, just behind Independence Square, to do some studying for my exams. I turned the corner into the Square only to see hundreds of young people running towards me being pursued by Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) riot police. It was the 1974 student demonstrations against poverty in Baling. Tear gas canisters were exploding around me, batons were waving, some students had blood on their clothes. I was caught in the wave of people running for sanctuary in the National Mosque - but they were pursued even there. The memory of FRU troopers with batons and shields strutting in their boots in a mosque that choked of tear gas is something I will never forget in all my life. It changed me forever. A few days later, a young student leader from the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement - I think his name was Anwar Ibrahim - delivered a speech at Bukit Kerinchi to the protesting students. I was there too. Today, my apartment block rests on that very spot where he talked to them. How things have changed - and not changed. Some hours after this was written and posted over the Internet, police and demonstrators clashed just outside the residence of the Prime Minister. At around 9 p.m. masked police in balaclavas and armed with sub-machine guns stormed Anwar Ibrahim's home. In front of his wailing children, he was arrested and detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA). He was not to be seen in public until nine days later, at his first court appearance - severely beaten and with an injured black eye. A call to the Reformasi movement In less than a months' time, we have seen the due process of law abused, the ISA used to silence dissent, the use of the government machinery towards individual political ends, gross control and manipulation of the media and an erosion in the rakyat's confidence in the independence and integrity of the judiciary. Supporters of the Reformasi Movement * must * focus on these key issues. Do not resort to 'their' tactics of going into every gory, disgusting detail of their accusations and allegations. These have to be decided upon by a free and independent court of law - based upon the natural laws of justice and fairness, the rule of law and the due process of law. That is what you have to struggle for - that every Malaysian, whether you are a dispatch clerk, farmer or the Deputy Prime Minister - is innocent of a crime until proven guilty by a court of law. * Not * guilty until proven innocent. Anwar has already been proven guilty by a far more powerful court. He has already been sentenced by the ISA. Up to now, in various ways, he and his supporters are being denied the right to voice their opinions and the chance to prove his innocence. Struggle for your right to be heard. Focus on these issues and nothing else. Leave it to others to talk about penises and anuses. You must also offer an alternative - and this where reform comes in. For what we have seen over this past month are just the symptoms of an even bigger disease. Genuine reform *is* necessary for our country - now more than anytime else. We have arrived at a crossroads in the history of our country. We can keep on the familiar road of break-neck, unbridled development, at all costs, to the detriment of social justice and equality, political freedoms and environmental concerns. Or we can take the road of sustained and sustainable development, where social development progresses in pace with economic development. The reform must be comprehensive and include all spheres - political, social and economic. Offer the rakyat a Programme of Action for the Reformasi Movement: 1. Call for the immediate repeal of the Internal Security Act 2. Abrogate all other laws, acts and regulations that violate human rights and the principles of freedom and justice such as the Official Secrets Act, Printing and Publications Act, University and University Colleges Act, Trades Union Act, Industrial Relations Act and Societies Act. 3. Call for the immediate and unconditional release of all ISA detainees. If there is evidence that these detainees have broken the law, they should be afforded due process of law in open court. 4. Ensure a judiciary system that is completely independent, transparent and places justice and public interest above all else, with judges of unimpeachable credentials. 5. All cases of arbitrariness or abuse in the judiciary system and breakdown of the due process of law must be investigated and dealt with, without fear or favour. 6. Call for the establishment a system of government that is truly democratic and ensures active participation by all sectors of the rakyat, including the involvement of political and non-political organisations or their representatives at all levels of national decision-making 7. Encourage the formation and development of people's organisations, non-governmental organisations and political parties 8. Immediately curtail the involvement of political parties, public servants and elected representatives of the people in business to eradicate cronyism and nepotism. 9. Expel members of political parties (including elected representatives of the rakyat) where there is strong evidence that they are involved in money politics 10. Bestow more powers to the Anti-Corruption Agency and place it under the immediate jurisdiction of Parliament 11. Redouble efforts to eradicate urban and rural poverty and shift renewed emphasis to development in the fields of education, health and housing 12. Review all privatisation and corporatisation projects and the use of public funds in megaprojects to ensure they benefit the rakyat 13. Shift emphasis from the development of large-scale industries and megaprojects to the promotion and development of small and medium-scale industries 14. Channel public funds used in or earmarked to privatised projects and megaprojects towards low cost housing projects that will ensure adequate, comfortable and safe homes for people with low and middle incomes 15. Retain public ownership of essential services such as water, electricity, health, public transport and sewerage 16. Ensure that Bumiputra privileges are used for the benefit of the poor, working and middle classes and not just a handful of wealthy and politically influential individuals 17. Uphold the position of Islam as the country’s official religion and uphold its principles of social justice, equality, tolerance and brotherhood - while guaranteeing the complete freedom of religion and belief to every citizen in the country in the true spirit of tolerance. Reformists, you role now is to educate and make the rakyat aware of their rights. Educate them on the above points. Produce print material - flyers, leaflets, pamphlets - on all the pints above, in simple language which people of all races and backgrounds can understand. Give informal talks. Get the help of NGOs and other support groups - they have many years experience struggling for the same issues you are championing now - but you now have the numbers. Use the Internet. Use the fax machine. Use the photocopier. These are the new tools of reformation. We are entering a phase of intense political guerrilla warfare now. All means - fair and foul - will be used to discredit, tarnish and stain the Reformasi Movement. Rumours will be spread in your name. Violence will be incited in your name. Lies will be spread in your name. Your ranks will be infiltrated and your work sabotaged. But just stick to the issues in question and to your reformation programme and operate within the rule of law that you are championing. And believe that God is on your side and that Justice will prevail.