subject: Bersih A Clean Coalition With Unofficial Interests [print this page] Bersih presents itself as a clean organization of nongovernmental agencies willing to ensure clean and safe elections in Malaysia. The organization came up after the current government was accused of voting frauds and keeping the leadership for decades already. So far, the coalition organized three different rallies. The last one occurred in April, 2012. More than 25,000 individuals joined it. Most of them were wearing yellow shirts. The move seems pretty fair at the first view and this is exactly what attracts most of the participants. However, what they don't understand is that every large organization has some unofficial interests, no matter how clean it seems.
Bersih is nongovernmental, yet some of its members come from the opposition. The general idea is more than obvious. If the opposition was actually in charge, Bersih would probably not exist. In an attempt to get as many particiopants as possible, the officials aim to accentuate the problems of the current government, without any solid proof. This movement was very common in more countries and not just in Asia. When participating, people only protest for a better life, without thinking what will happen if the current government goes down. People will not suddenly get to live better. This is far from reality. Rebuilding a country takes years or even decades.
There are solid similar happenings in the past that can help people understand what Bersih is actually about. The Philippines come with the most appropriate sample, especially since the Filipino revolution has influenced this formation. The Yellow Revolution that inspires Bersih eliminated Ferdinand Marcos after running the country for about two decades. Things didn't get to improve in time. If back then the Philippines came as the second most important country in Asia, after Japan, things dramatically changed later. These days, it is one of the last countries on the continent, with a disastrous economy.
Just like in the Philippines, Malaysia is run by a government who may have not given the best living conditions, but the people are far from doing bad. A new government will most likely need decades to get the country on its feet. It will not have too many chances in the long run if the opposition silently fuels the current rallies. People need to start thinking about such small details and hidden interests before going out to protest.
