Malaysians in Singapore made sure they weren’t left out of Bersih 3.0

Malaysians in Singapore made sure they weren’t left out of Bersih 3.0:
On April 28, numerous streets and squares in Malaysia transformed into a sea of yellow and green as people from all walks of life joined Bersih 3.0 to call for clean and fair elections.
Malaysia’s elections have often been subject to much controversy. There have been complaints of phantom voters, stuffed ballot boxes, vote-buying, bribery and corruption. Recent amendments to the Election Offenses Act, abolishing the role of barung agents (election monitors) and allowing campaign materials to be printed and distributed anonymously – among other things – have provoked much anger amongst the people. Critics claim that these amendments will practically guarantee a dirty election.
Despite a heavy police presence and actions – such as the barricading of Dataran Merdeka – taken to dissuade protesters, tens of thousands of Malaysians swarmed the capital of Kuala Lumpur to participate in ‘Duduk Bantah’, a sit-in protest. 11 other Malaysian cities also held their own Bersih 3.0 sit-ins, accompanied by over 70 solidarity movements around the world.
Just across the causeway, Malaysians living and working in Singapore also wanted to participate in the struggle for clean elections. However, the act of assembling and demonstrating is not so simple in Singapore. Most “cause-related” activities require a police permit. The only outdoor space in Singapore where people can assemble without a permit, Speaker’s Corner, prohibits foreigners from organising their own activities there. To organise a Bersih 3.0 in Singapore would mean flouting local laws and regulations.
“The Bersih 2.0 Singapore group, of which I was one of the founders, decided very early on that our fight was solely with the Malaysian authorities and no one else,” said John Cheong, an organiser of Bersih 3.0 Singapore. “We recognise that we are guests in this country and we respect Singapore’s laws and regulations.”
Bersih 3.0 Singapore then had to come up with alternative actions to get involved. An online signature drive was initiated and the petition passed on to the High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore.
Approximately 150 Malaysians gathered at Woodlands on April 28 and travelled together to Johor Bahru, the closest Malaysian city to Singapore. Once there, they changed into their yellow shirts and took photographs with Singapore’s skyline in the background, singing the national anthem together before moving on to join fellow Malaysians at Bersih 3.0 Johor Bahru.

Being part of the national movement was very important to the Singapore-based Malaysians, many of whom are unable to vote during elections (unless they travel back to the constituencies in which they are registered).
“Bersih is important not just because everything it fights for is for the Rakyat (translation: people) and indeed places the Rakyat first, but also because in its fight, the Rakyat truly come together as one unified body that embodies all the characteristics and values our founding fathers imagined,” said John Cheong.
Johanna Lau, now studying at the National University of Singapore, had never even been to Johor Bahru before Saturday, but said that showing up to be part of Bersih 3.0 was the least she could do. “It’s for a good cause. I came to show solidarity,” she said. “It’s a small thing, but it means something.”