KL SENTRAL BLOCK MASJID JAMEK MAYBANK 1 BBQ LARILARI JLN PUDU JANGAN LARI TANGKAP

KEJAMLAHINI HOSPITAL 6 JLN ALOH BERSIHBERSIH YES Bersih! Bersih! Hidup Bersih! , BERSIH KLCC KLCC Negaraku tanah tumpah. PAKCIK AUNTIE PAKCIK MAKCIK 10 A 34 709 WATER CANON PAKCIK Relax-relax, rehat kejap tak ada hal punya)

My dear daughter, Daddy told you this morning I travel to work, in fact, I am travelling to Kuala Lumpur to participate with the piles and piles of so-called bad people, that was called by the TV. Early in the morning, after giving you a kiss while you are sleeping, Mommy took Daddy to the airport. Why not driving? Because I heard that the police uncle has surrounded the Kuala Lumpur, driving may not able to arrive there. Mommy: What if you are caught? Daddy: That is why you must stay, to bail me out. Daddy had never did any big adventure, when the plane landed, sitting in the train to KL SENTRAL, my heart beat nothing less than yours when the time I caught you stealing eating candy. After getting out the train, daddy friends also arrive in short while, we were talking and asking why we cannot exit the station where we want to exit, but have to exit on the following next two stations. Daddy sat for two more stations, not because Daddy want to exercise to lose weight (you know! Daddy has big bellies), but because the police uncles has stop us from get off the station! Daddy met about ten Malays, they too are going to the same place Daddy is going. Fortunately, Daddy met them, because Daddy cannot recognize if this is the busy, bustling Kuala Lumpur! Where are the people and cars? All are gone! All block by the police uncles! Suddenly, Daddy heard noisy sound, we arrived at our destination! Ahead is the famous MASJID JAMEK, then we saw a row of vicious FRU. You may

ask isnt the police are suppose to protect the people? Baby, this is exactly part of the reasons why Daddy is coming to attend this gathering. Daddy see a lot of people running to the hills next to MAYBANK and I follow. View from above the hill, God, there must be around 10,000 people? Before my shock was over, smell of spicy tear gas, flow right into my face. Just like last month when we have our BBQ, you are choked by the smoke, with tears and running nose. At this time, Daddy remember the small towel prepared by Mummy, quickly make it wet with water and cover the nose, it feel better. At this time, the police uncle rushed toward us! Everyone are anxious and panic, we shout loudly LARI!LARI! Although anxious and panic, but hundreds of people hurry through the door that can only accommodate one person. Then Daddy looked back. Police uncles are climbing over the fence to come over! Perhaps you might ask: What bad thing has my Daddy done? Why the police want ot arrest my Daddy? Daughter, Daddy together with many, many other uncles, sister, brothers just gathering here. The police rushed over, arresting and hitting everyone on sight! Daddy run like a flies beside the small road of JLN PUDU, because behind there are people shouting JANGAN LARI! TANGKAP!, Finally stopped, some people signal to Daddy, asking Daddy go quickly to front, do Daddy know this person? Daddy do not know this person, but, strangely, we all believe in him and went with him to the same direction. At this time choking, spicy taste come again, one tear gas follow by the others, water gun pouring water to the people who refused to disband. Daddy nose running and tears flowing, also having difficultly breathing, then I see a group of people squatted on the faucet washing the face and head, they look at Daddy with a wry smiles, then give Daddy some salt. I also wash with tap water, and drank the tap water! Daddy never though the tap water can be so delicious! We looked at each other, and suddenly laughed together, the tension instantly disappear! It started to rain heavily, daddy climbed up a small hill, went to the Tong Sin hospital. Outside the hospital door it is filled with people, men and women, we are here to avoid the nasty rain and tear gas. Daddy stood in front of three fully masked Malay sisters, one seems to suck too much tear gas, reeling want to fall, her two friends kept asking where they can buy drinking water. At this time, a Chinese took a bottle of water from his backpack and handed it to them. Daddy do not think they know each other. Daughter, let me tell you, helping each other, is not only see in the textbooks. Noisy sound getting louder and louder, there was calls to all of us who are avoiding the rain to join the march. When we are elated to go and join the march, suddenly the rapid burst of desperate people ran into the hospital entrance, and then we ran toward the parking lot, Daddy followed the run trying to escape as well, then we heard someone yells KEJAMLAH! INI HOSPITAL!. The crowd kept standing aside, some people climb the hill,

some people climb on the wall, some people climbed up the back door of the hospital gates (about 6 and half feet high). Regardless of Chinese, Malays, Indians, we help each other. The strong one, climbing the iron gates and went over, the elderly and infirm, climb over the gate using the constructions ladder no one know where it was from. Either way, there will be someone over the other side of iron gates to help you. No one rushed, only humility and patience. Seeing this, Daddy has a sour nose, I think, this is our country and the people Malaysian. After that, we have about two or three hundred people walking along JLN ALOH, along the way, no one complaints, no one was tired, although we do not know each other, but we all have only one goal-BERSIH! BERSIH! Came a sudden burst of cheers in front, followed by another burst of applause! YES! Daddy returned to the march! Too excited, everyone is like seeing long-lost family members, we all dancing and shouting! Bersih! Bersih! Hidup Bersih! There are long stretch of people, cannot see where the crowd begin, or where it end. Everyone are excited, and occupied the whole empty roads. Vehicle passing by occasionally, drivers pressing long horn, they too open the window, and put out hands and raised thumb! When we see this scene, we are excited again. Sound of whistles and applause, with the voice out of BERSIH! Daughter, this is not the demonstration originally Daddy thought of, this is more like a carnival! The long march gradually come to KLCC, occupied the whole intersection before the KLCC! Daddy can not estimate how many people are there, at least ten thousand, twenty, perhaps thirty thousand people? We get together, sit down and rest. We take break, then someone take the lead in singing the national anthem! Negaraku tanah tumpah . Daddy had sing the national anthem since childhood, at least five hundred may be a thousand times! But this time, at this moment, how come the national anthem sound so sweet? Not accompanied by any music, even there are difference tones, and even wrong tone with weird accent, but when I see the left side PAKCIK, and the right side Indian AUNTIE with her daughter, the shock on my mind and the touch on my heart, I can no longer be calm with the tears sprinkled down my face. .. My dear daughter, at this moment, I really wish you and Mommy are beside me. Next to me and share this moment of pride and belonging in this country with me! All the sudden, daddy understand why so many PAKCIK and MAKCIK have brought the whole family, because this moment, you never learn in books, nor will you feel it after the exam of 10 A! Daddy has live in this country for 34 years, there is no moment like the 709, deeply appreciate the meaning of Malaysia. Regardless of who we are, we mutual help each other, mutual humility (to escape tear gas, to avoid the water cannon, to the climbing of wall at the hospital), sharing (even if only a

handful of salt is all you got). Wry smiles among each other, (After getting the water cannon, squatted on the faucet to wash your face and head, drink tap water), comforting each other (with tears on the face, breathing difficulties, the PAKCIK came patting: Relax-relax, rehat kejap tak ada hal punya ). Daddy never know who they are, never ask their name, but this is our country the people of Malaysia. Perhaps many years later, when you can read and understand this letter, written by Daddy who has experienced all this. It may have already documented in your history book. Remember, at this historical moment, Daddy choice to stand with this yellow crowd, not for any other reason, but just to let you have a better country! Always love you, Da Huang Daddy