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COMMENTARY May 9 is the second anniversary of that magical day when the rakyat brought down the proud and powerful BN at the ballot box. Sure, the “Empire Strikes Back” if I may Star Wars analogy, but let’s never forget that we people manage to do the impossible.
In the run-up to the elections, the environment had been electric. Large crowds had flocked to Pakatan Harapan ceramah across the country, including those near the so-called “Felda fortresses” of Umno. The Ceramah public was asked to show their cell phone lights and “seas” of lights shone, promising a wave of change.
I managed to join one of these great rallies in the Keramat area of Kuala Lumpur. the padang (the field) in the place was soaked and muddy, yet plenty of humanity, of all races, were huddled there, in an intermittent drizzle, shaking with the hope of “rag“From a better country.
Street vendors were also doing brisk business: food, drinks, and lots of T-shirts, especially from former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, like he was a hero of Che Guevara or something. I bought a generic T-shirt from Pakatan, but I refused to spend RM20 on one from Mahathir. Yes, it was necessary for him to change course, but he could not forget how his government had led the rot to drag the country along now.
Remember the tensions on Election Day? The huge and eager turnout, even before polling stations opened, the long lines, the whispers of conspiracies to keep certain people from voting, and the fear of sudden blackouts when counting ballots.
Remember how the results stopped showing up after a certain time when BN was losing? And the rumors flying around. Would the electoral authorities be fair? Would an emergency be declared?
When victory was finally declared in the early hours of May 10, he could hardly believe it … against all odds, the “Death Star” had been destroyed.
We all know how history has turned out since then. Leaders in Harapan may have …
