For the right to party

My Bersih 4 plan was scuppered.

To be honest, I was in two minds about going. While I support Bersih’s five demands, namely free and fair elections, a transparent government, the right to demonstrate, strengthening the parliamentary democratic system and saving the national economy, I just do not like crowds.

Further, I was concerned about Bersih being yet another vehicle hijacked by certain parties to push forward their agenda. Nothing is ever “for the rakyat” in Malaysia, a harsh reality we all have to live with.

Yet, I made plans to go. The least I can do was to help pick up rubbish and keep my city of Kuala Lumpur clean, literally.

But on Saturday morning, when I checked my phone after a good run around Hartamas, a typical Saturday morning routine for an urban, middle-class me; I was greeted by the news of a friend being arrested and my supposed Bersih 4 buddy assisting with their release.

While the rest of us urbanites were soundly asleep on Friday, August 28, 2015 in anticipation of the biggest rally in Kuala Lumpur, 123 persons were hauled up.

I refuse to use the term “arrested” here, because all these people were doing was attending a gig.

They were enjoying music and appreciating a space for them to express themselves, not much different than what supposedly 500,000 people were doing over 36 hours that same weekend.

What really concerned me was the fact that for most of us, we were all so focused on Bersih 4 that this particular story of injustice done to fellow Malaysians was overlooked. Kakiseni was tweeting about it, but every other social media feed was only awash with yellow that weekend.

I have never felt so helpless in my life. There was a friend, someone I know personally, in lock-up, having committed the crime of being herself and empowered in her choice of lifestyle and music.

There I was, a coward who could only worry of the repercussions of wearing a yellow T-shirt and joining a throng of friends in a peaceful rally. I could only be a clicktivist – sharing and re-sharing news and updates about #RumahApi, hoping that all of them and in particular my friend, to be released.

Singing Negaraku along with hundreds of thousands of Malaysians that particular Merdeka eve seemed hollow.

On Merdeka Day, all of the #RumahApi detainees except for two foreign nationals were released from police lock-up. Activists in Kuala Lumpur were finally aware of the situation it seemed, and came up with statements condemning the remand, and some of them went over to IPD Ampang Jaya to lend their support to those remanded and their families.

Articles were published, social media and both local and foreign news sites flared up. Comments were made, along with the harrowing experience of some female detainees who apparently were forced to change their sanitary pads in front of police officers.

Yet, a few days later, after all detainees were released, Malaysians are happy to move on to the next topic, the next issue.

I can only conclude that as Malaysians, we do have a collective Alzheimer’s as a society, along with the syndrome of “mudah lupa”.

My questions from the #RumahApi incident:

1. On what grounds was the gig raided?

Most of the public assumed that there was the link to Bersih 4 from the poster citing “party tonight, revolution tomorrow”. But from what I was informed of personally, the gig was not organised by Bersih 2.0. None of the detainees were wearing yellow T-shirts, if the police were to take the gazette against yellow T-shirts made that night itself seriously.

Rumah Api is not located at or in the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka. From what was shared by Kakiseni, the rules of Rumah Api include “no drugs, no alcohol, no racism, no sexism”.

Thus, why the raid?

2. Is there space for free expression in Kuala Lumpur?

I do not frequent gigs and have openly declared my embarrassing choice in music (read: a soon-to-be 32-year old who still sings and dances to Backstreet Boys). But if I am allowed to unabashedly sing and dance along to BSB in concert, the same freedom should be awarded and respected for persons who choose punk music, or any music for that matter.

As a Malaysian woman, I enjoy human rights accorded to me by a parliamentary democracy. I celebrate Merdeka, a date where my country achieved independence. I vote. I am able to wear what I want, free to say and state my opinion.

Or do I? Is our independence a farce?

3. The “sanitary-pad-gate”

Why were the detainees allegedly forced to change their sanitary pads in front of police? What was the security threat behind changing sanitary pads, as that’s the only reason why such an act should be allowed?

Is the police launching an investigation into why the detainees were treated this way?

Do we treat detainees as less human than ourselves, particularly those who seemingly have committed no crime? Even if a crime was committed, humans are humans. We should respect and treat each other with dignity.

Where is our humanity, then?

I hope that I, together with fellow Malaysians, would appreciate the meaning of Merdeka more. Lest we forget in the future, remember #RumahApi. – September 9, 2015.

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