David v Goliath at Bersih 4

The tale of David and Goliath serves as an inspiration to many readers. David was a young man who had never fought in a war throughout his life. He had no armour, no experience and no equipment.

But what was remarkable was how he managed to defeat Goliath, who was not only a champion, but also a giant feared by everyone.

What was the secret behind David’s success? Well, what David had was merely on the right side with the right intent.

In less than a week, Bersih 4 is set to kick off its first 34-hour rally near Dataran Merdeka. The rally will also be held in Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and various cities around the world.

Diverse views have been expressed about the protest: some are encouraging, while some remain sceptical. Most debates are about the intention of the Bersih movement, its impacts, strategies and tactics.   

If we take a look at the Umbrella movement in Hong Kong, the protesters won admiration, not only for their discipline, but also their persistence in believing what is right for the citizens of Hong Kong.

For more than two months, Hong Kong folk contributed to the protest according to their ability.

That shows, at the end of the day, it does not really matter whether you agree or not with the method of protest.

What matters is the growing trust deficit with the government and the political legitimacy.

When we had the first Bersih protest in 2007, no one expected there would be Bersih sequel, at least not the way it unfolded.

Having said that, the Bersih movement itself has been transformed.

Facing the political vulnerability, the cat-and-mouse game with protesters is a two-edged sword. Police have banned the Bersih 4 rally. Lawyers, on the other hand, have said that peaceful assembly should be allowed.

In its latest statement, Suhakam reiterated that the concept of illegal assembly no longer existed as a law. That means the Bersih 4 rally could not be banned.

At the time of writing, Bersih has collected more than RM1.2 million, which is three times more than the last rally in 2012. That’s a measure of how awareness has grown in the last few years.

David ran to the battle when everyone else hovered in fear, as he knew action needed to be taken.

This time, we might not witness a David v Goliath per se.

But this is an opportunity to present a David versus Goliath position. What’s critical now is our will in continuing this protracted struggle for the betterment of our country. – August 24, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.