WHY DID THE POLICE SQUEEZE THE BERSIH CROWD TOWARDS THE PATRIOTS?
Why did the police push the Bersih crowd from Pudu into Bukit Bintang, knowing very well that their adversaries were up in arms there. Shouldn’t the police and FRU start their purported peacekeeping advance from the other end of Jalan Pudu and move the Bersih crowd away from Bukit Bintang if the avowed red shirts were in Bukit Bintang with no agenda whatsoever save to counter the Bersih march?
By K. Jeyaraj
I was there at the Maybank- Jalan Pudu junction midday on 9th July together with thousands of fellow Malaysians. The true spirit of Malaysian nationalism, irrespective of creed, race, religion or wealth, was immensely seen and felt, ironically marching against a government which shields itself by slogans including the multibillion dollar 1 Malaysia propaganda.
There was no violence whatsoever, no provocation whatsoever by the civilian marchers. The police and FRU fired water cannons and tear gas unilaterally and indiscriminately. We all ran helter-skelter. My eyes and face burned. The anxiety caused difficulty in breathing. An elder Malay lady and my Chinese friend offered me a towel and water.
Recovering, the crowd gathered again peacefully but was pushed into Jalan Pudu in front of Pudu Raya by none other than the police and FRU. The crowd became sandwiched between the advancing FRU from Menara Maybank and their fellow marchers from the direction of Bukit Bintang. Indiscriminate firing of tear gas continued. Where else could the crowd go but jump down into the Puduraya basement floor, many risking a 5-8 feet fall.
Sheer survival instincts made me and many others run into the compounds of the Tung Shin Hospital as there was nowhere else to go. The FRU and police from the Maybank junction had now advanced to the end of the Puduraya building. Behind the crowd there was another band of police and FRU blocking the crowd’s retreat. I imagined the police were at the Bukit Bintang junction to prevent any advance to the stadium.
As would a river find diverse outlets when blocked, the crowd seeped into little alleys and in between roads. I too scaled an opening in the fencing of Tung Shin hospital to escape the advancing police and FRU. The painful memory of tear gas was fresh and prompted my run. Then we found ourselves at Jalan Alor moving towards Bukit Bintang. A huge battalion of police and FRU could be seen near Federal Hotel. Having no alternative, the crowd moved the other way, which would reach
Bukit Bintang from the other end.
My friend and I wanted to leave and walked in the direction of the Pudu LRT station, knowing we could neither go to the Puduraya station nor the Hang Tuah station. We were stopped by police who asked us go home. What clever advice when we were entrapped?! By then we could see the band of red t-shirts of the so-called Patriots in Bukit Bintang. I became startled. Why did the police push the Bersih crowd from Pudu into Bukit Bintang, knowing very well that their adversaries were up in arms there. Shouldn’t the police and FRU start their purported peacekeeping advance from the other end
of Jalan Pudu and move the Bersih crowd away from Bukit Bintang if the avowed red shirts were in Bukit Bintang with no agenda whatsoever save to counter the Bersih march? Were the police actions a momentary misjudgement bordering upon stupidity or a cleverly planned mischief to push the Bersih marchers to a clash with the Patriots?
In a puzzle, I was not taking any chances. My friend and I sneaked through the police and walked to the Pudu LRT and back home.
