It’s been another crazy week. Hardly had time to think of what to blog.
The Bersih 3.0 rally is just a day away. Although I would love to attend it again, whether as an observer under the Bar Council or as a participant, I will not be in the country.
In fact, I will be New York City and Washington DC to attend the annual International Trademarks Attorney (INTA) Conference. New York City is also having their own Bersih rally on the day I arrive. Unfortunately, it will be over when I arrive the city.
Anyway, to anyone attending the rally in Kuala Lumpur, stay safe. Make sure:-
1. You wear comfortable clothes and shoes. You need to run when things go wrong. Looking pretty is the last thing you want to do in a Bersih rally. But perhaps not smelling bad is something you should ensure.
2. Bring water, towel and some salt. The effect of tear gas is a bitch. It feels like having onions rubbing onto your eyeballs.
Bersih 2.0 – the moment when tear gas was fired.
3. Never resist arrest with force but you can always question why you are arrested. If you resist arrest, you can be assured that you’ll be subdued with force. Look for the Bar Council monitoring team members so that you can provide your details to them. At least there is a record that the authorities have taken you away.
4. If provoked, never retaliate. Never participate in any form of violence. It gives the authorities the reason to arrest or disperse the crowd. Make sure you bring your identity card along. It is an offence if you are unable to produce your identification to the authorities when asked.
5. I was told that tear gas will be fired once a bell is rung. If you find FRU marching towards the crowd and a bell is being rung, start moving against the wind.
6. Always think of escape routes whenever there are many people. This will avoid you being trampled when something happens.
7. Be vigilant of explosions. If you see any suspected parcels, move away and alert people or even the police. During Anwar’s trial verdict early this year, homemade bombs exploded outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court. No one was caught until today.
8. Remember that not all police personnel are bad. There are good cops and bad cops. When I was running away from tear gas during the Bersih 2.0 rally, a policeman guided me to a safe spot. I ran towards the spot but he remained at his place taking the brunt of the tear gas.
9. You sign Negaraku as if it is your last time singing it. The state of our country is getting terrible. We need to boose the moral of the Rakyat to make Malaysia a better place.