The story behind some of Malaysia’s biggest street rallies
Here we go again!
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Three years after the mammoth Bersih 3.0 rally, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) has called for another Bersih rally. Dubbed Bersih 4.0, the rally will be held on the 29 and 30 August to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak and clean governance in Malaysia.
While Malaysians are gearing up to take the streets, there are some who have strongly condemned street rallies, saying that public demonstrations are not part of Malaysia’s political culture.
But street rallies have, in one way or another, played an important role in shaping the country. Did you know that UMNO was founded as a sign of protest? Or that the Universities and Universities Colleges Act (AUKU) of 1970, which forbids university and college students to participate in street rallies, was devised as a result of a mammoth rally?
Here are the stories behind some of our country’s biggest – and most iconic – street rallies:
Photo credit: Flickr
1) THE MALAYAN UNION RALLIES
So, what happened?
In 1946, UMNO founder Dato’ Seri Onn Jaafar organised and led one of the biggest mass demonstration of that time.
Days after the British Allied forces landed in Singapore in 1945, the British Military Administration were looking to revive pre-war plans for centralised control over the Malay states. Sir Harold MacMichael, a British colonial administrator, was tasked to sign official treaties with the Sultans as part of the Malayan Union scheme. However, a majority of the Sultans were reluctant to sign the treaties, as it meant that the United Kingdom would have full administrative powers over the Malay states.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
When frustrations boiled over, more than 50,000 Malays hit the streets to protest against MacMicheal’s method of acquiring the Sultans’ signatures, as well as the reduction of their powers under the Malayan Union treaty. As the discontent picked up steam, Onn Jaafar founded UMNO as a means to rally the Malays against the Malayan Union. Under Onn Jaafar’s leadership, UMNO organised several big rallies in several large towns such as Johor Bahru, Kelantan, Alor Setar, Kota Bharu and Alor Setar. During the rallies, the protesters wore white headbands to ‘mourn’ the loss of the Sultans’ political rights.
What happened next?
After the inauguration, UMNO continued to defy the Malayan Union. Using ‘civil disobedience’ as a means of protest, they refused to attend the installation ceremonies of the British governors as well as participate in the meetings of the Advisory Councils. With the Malayan Union recognising that they no longer have the support of the people, they disbanded in 1948.
