Malaysia: Bicycle protesters for workers' rights defy police intimidation
Cycle protesters in Penang, December 5
By Oppressed People’s Movement (Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas, Jerit)
December 6, 2008 – The Oppressed People’s Movement (Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas, Jerit) is conducting a cycling campaign throughout Malaysia to highlight demands for workers' right, which will be presented to the prime minister of Malaysia. The campaign officially began on December 3 at Wisma Darul Aman Kedah, where 50 cyclists were flagged off. They will cycle for 16 days through Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor. On December 18, they will hand a memorandum to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, at the national parliament in Kuala Lumpur.
The six demands are: 1. Legislate a Minimum Wage Act; 2. Abolish draconian laws; 3. Adequate housing for the people; 4. Control prices; 5. Stop the privatisation of public services; 6. Revive local municipal council elections.
The cyclists are riding the unique route to advocate change. The ‘People the force of change' campaign is one of the Jerit's ways of raising awareness about issues like food shortages, global food shortage, environmental problems, draconian laws and the financial crisis – in an eco-friendly way to boot.
The cycling campaign is inspired by the class struggles of the Bukit Asahan estate workers in Malacca in the 1970s, who then marched to Kuala Lumpur to meet the prime minister to resolve their problems.
On December 5, police stopped the Jerit cyclists from leafleting in Teluk Kumbar, Penang. The whole team was asked to go to Teluk Kumbar police station. Inspector Lokman (the police officer on duty) stopped the cyclists and warned them not to continue and threatened them to arrest them if they ignored the order. A bus and lorry containing riders' bicycles was also brought to Teluk Kumbar police station.
The police have continuously intimidated and threatened the cyclists since the campaign started on December 3. On December 4, Ruben a/l Loganathan was arrested by the police in Merbau Pulas, Kedah, for handing out leaflets containing the demands of Jerit’s bicycle campaign.
The most serious police attack came on December 6, in the vicinity of Skudai in Johor. The area turned into an emergency zone, when the police units mobilised, from the Light Strike Force, the Federal Reserve Unit to traffic police, erecting road blocks which caused a massive traffic jam and massive public nuisance. This was to prevent the young and energetic young cyclists entering the area.
When the riders attempted to negotiate with the police, they were threated with arrest for illegal assembly. At least 12 people were arrested, including Socialist Party of Malaysia (Parti Sosialis Malaysia, PSM) secretary general S.Arutchelvan, PSM treasurer A.Sivarajan, Jerit coordinator K.Simon and a 13-year-old boy. Another four Jerit and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (the human rights group Suaram) coordinators, including Ngo Jian Yee and Nyam Yee Han.
While the 16 people were held in Skudai police station, the police put the others under "house arrest" at the Suaram office. After negotiations between police and S.Arutchelvan, the police allowed everyone to leave with the condition that no cycling would continue in Skudai. Police said they would arrest any person found cycling, even after assurances that the cyclists would travel in a single line. The only assurance the police gave was that the cyclists and their lorries would be allowed to leave the district without problems.
However, police then intimidated one of the lorries and plainclothes police harassed the cyclists by snapping photographs. With less bicycles and after the bullying by the police, the Jerit southern team decided to cycle one by one, even if it meant arrest.
The team was met by the Kulai police, who allowed the cyclists to continue but warned them that they would be arrested if they committed any traffic offences. Braving the intimidation, the Jerit team cycled on but after less than 2 kilometres the police once again diverted all the cyclists to the police station and this time said that they had been stopped because they didn't have reflectors. This further delayed the journey. The lorry carrying the remaining cyclists was again harassed.
With this, since it was getting dark, the organisers decided to move on to their next destination, Simpang Renggam. On arrival, the police were once again harassing the team. The cyclists were met by some supporters from the opposition People's Justice Party (PKR), and the team stayed in its local office.
It was a day when the police from three districts in Johor had nothing to do except monitor a group of cyclists, a day when it seems no other issues mattered in Johor.
For the cyclists, it was a frustrating day, yet their spirits remained high. By midnight, the young cyclists were putting on their reflectors and and were ready to pedal the next day.
Suaram has strongly condemned the police for their ongoing intimidation and attacks on the freedom of expression, a fundamental right which is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the federal constitution of Malaysia. Suaram demands that Malaysian government allow the cyclists to continue their ride and respect their freedom of expression as stated in the constitution.
Despite constant police harassment, the cyclists are determined to reach parliament house as scheduled.
Send protest letters
We would like to urge the international concerned citizens to continuously send protest letters to the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to stop intimidation against the cyclists and the activists in Malaysia.
Sample letter:
[Letterhead of your organisation]
Inspector-General of Police
Tan Sri Musa Hassan
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: +603 2262 6015
Fax: +603 2272 5613
Email: rmp@rmp.gov.my
Please cc the letter to jerit2002@gmail.com and enalini_elumalai@yahoo.com
Stop intimidation by the police against the Jerit cyclists and the activists
Dear Sir,
We are writing to you, once again, to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over your government's ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression, a fundamental right which is guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. We demand the Malaysian government to allow the cyclists to continue cycling and practice their freedom of expression as stated in Federal Constitution.
We are appalled by your government's and the police's latest actions and view this as yet another attempt by your government to intimidate Malaysian citizens from participating in any form of public assembly and exercising their freedom to express their views.
We further demand that your government stops the assault on freedom of expression.
We strongly urge you, once again, to stop bringing shame to Malaysia, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. We would like to remind you that freedom of expression is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[This article is based on information posted on the Jerit, Suaram and Aliran websites, and the blog Surind.]
Malaysia bicycle protest updates, December 9-10
A road-block free day
Today is human rights day. 10 December 2008. We left our luxury stay from Gemas Rest House to Melaka. The day was pleasantly quite. When we crossed border from Negeri Sembilan to Melaka, we were rather shocked that there were no Road Blocks to greet us. In the last few days, we have become familiar to Road Blocks and it has become a routine and when we didn’t see one, we were puzzled.
Then we reached a small town called Cheng. We were greeted by youths in orange. Yes, they are supporters of Hindraf. They led us in their motorbikes while our cycles paraded proudly. Many people showed support while we rode our bicyle towards Batu Enam road. Then Jayanthas � Hindraf took us for lunch. By then a lot of policemen have gathered around out lunch point.
After lunch, the cyclist rode into historical Malacca. Once again they were the attraction besides the old forts which is still standing. The Melaka cycle tour had been a success and incident free. Then we went back to Negeri Sembilan for a launch of the event in Negeri Sembilan. By then we got many calls that the police is not going to allow any event and have taken steps to cancel all the events. The police have even blocked some roads.
So the notion that there will be no road-block on human rights day has been proved wrong. What was even worst was when the Acting OCPD Isa threatened to arrest us because he considers our press conference an illegal assemble. There were some exchanges as usual and finally the police allowed us to hold a press conference. The Press conference was held under heavy police presence. That is the start of our campaign in Negeri Sembilan. Tomorrow we will hit Rembau.
Signing off 1am 11 December 2008, Tampin
Malaysia: Jerit cyclists move forward despite police threats
Malaysia: Jerit bike protest update, December 13
Mission accomplished - N9 (Negeri Sembilan): memorandum submitted
The day started with news reports that the Deputy IGP has declared that any member of public who participated in JERIT bicycle campaign would be considered a criminal offence. Besides that he also said that JERIT is not a registered body, it is exploiting children and being used by some political parties. All this accusation is familiar but we started the day with caution.
Some of our young cyclist had to go to Petronas station to have a bath. That was an interesting experience, they said. Breakfast arrived late but we started the cycling from DAP office in Seremban Jaya on time. Guna, the local State Assemblyman flagged off and the South team who then cycled towards the capital of Negeri Sembilan, Seremban to submit a memorandum to the Menteri Besar.
The team arrived within 50 minutes, a record time. Soon many DAP and PKR State Assemblyman arrived to give support. Members of Hindraf also lend their support. There was a very low key presence of police. I was relieved that the negotiation the day earlier with SB Chief Ang did materialize. He said that he will tell his boys to avoid confrontations and hoped for our assurance.
Soon we were told that Dato Firdaus Bin Harun, the MB’s secretary will receive the memorandum. He was initially very reluctant to meet the campaigners. He asked for two reps to come up and pass him the memorandum. I then went up and convinced him that it would be in the best interest of the State Government for him to receive the memorandum. Failing which, all credit will go to the opposition who are very forthcoming in accepting the JERIT’s demands.
He then came down. Soon the cyclist walked in. Two cyclist then rode their bicycle. Our banner unfolded and the memorandum was submitted. Kok Wei and Yogenderan passed the memorandum to the Chief Minister;s rep as well as to Anthony Loke, MP as well as the DAP State Opposition leader. We proceeded with a press conference to denounce the deputy IGP’s statement and rode off from there.
The team then went to PAS Markas in Jalan Pantai for a rest and lunch. At 3pm, the team proceeded to Kirby estate via Labu Road. By now , our young cyclist team seem very confident in cycling, they seem to move faster, efficient and have became some sort of a pro. Our escort team led by Mani from PSM Seremban also marshaled the cyclist through the heavy Seremban town. It was a good day but it seems that the number of police following us after lunch had increased suddenly. We became a bit worried.
Upon arrival in Ladang Kirby, we stopped the police from entering the line side of workers. This created a big commotion as the Deputy SB Chief was very angry because our people stopped a police officer. An argument erupted and the police were talking about monitoring us and we spoke about encroachment of our freedom of movement and privacy. Later the police retreated and left and we were back in Ladang Kirby, one of our home town. We will not allow anyone to bully us in our own turf.
The cyclist still full of energy then went on to play football. That night, a meeting was held to share experience at the temple. The day ended late with more meetings but our mission to Negeri Sembilan had been accomplished as we have successfully handed the memorandum to the Chief Minister. It was “kathikai” and oil lamps were put all round the estate. Our hearts were also lighted on this day as well went on well.
WE are now heading south and would reach Selangor tomorrow.
Signing off
Kirby estate 7am 13 December 2008
Aliran (Malaysia): `Stop harassing peaceful citizens'
Stop harassing peaceful citizens: Go after the criminals
Friday, 12 December 2008 01:12
Aliran is appalled at the determined effort of the police to stop a peaceful campaign mounted by Jerit to raise awareness of issues such as food shortages, environmental problems, draconian laws and the financial crisis. In a unique way, Jerit is highlighting these very important issues affecting the great majority of our citizens by getting two teams of cyclists to “Ride for Change”.
Both these teams took off simultaneously – one from Johor Bahru and the other from Alor Setar on 3 December 2008. It would have taken them 16 days to reach Kuala Lumpur on 18 December 2008 where both the teams would converge and proceed to Parliament House to deliver a six-point memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Why are the police in a frenzy to frustrate this attempt in such a serious manner? Why is this endeavour by peaceful means viewed as if it posed a threat to the peace of the nation? Why are so many police personnel and vehicles used when crime is so rampant and needs urgent attention all over the country?
What is bewildering is the fact that in spite of having informed the Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan of this “Ride for Change” programme, these harassments, intimidations and arrests have taken place on a daily basis in a routine manner. There has also been an allegation of sexual assault which allegedly resulted in the breasts of a participant being groped. The police as an institution have not lived up to the expectations of the public as a moral guardian looking after our safety and well-being.
People are wondering why can’t the police put in as much enthusiasm and determination in going after the criminals who have become the bane of society with crimes escalating to worrying levels. Snatch thefts, murders, house-breaking, robberies, kidnappings, and rapes have become daily occurrences in our country simply because the police are no longer perceived as being effective in combating crime.
Why are the police hell-bent in wanting to stop this peaceful campaign which is undertaken on behalf of the people and for the good of the people? Where is the threat and who is being threatened by this endeavour that is aimed at compelling the Barisan Government to focus on the real issues affecting the rakyat instead of indulging in politics to perpetuate their power. So many police reports have been lodged with regard to corruption, abuse of power, violations of human rights, and disregard for rule of law, but why have the police not displayed as much enthusiasm in trying to solve all these grievances?
So far 23 arrests have taken place involving the team from the South and 53 arrests involving the team from the North. On each occasion those arrested were taken to police stations for statements to be recorded and particulars to be checked before being released. This has resulted in a lot of time being wasted - time which could have been devoted to fighting real criminals and curbing crime.
It is very unfortunate that the police are being perceived as the tool of the ruling party in the way they conduct themselves. They seem more intent in going after dissidents and social activists to ensure the power of the BN rather than tackling crime and criminals to make the country safe for the ordinary citizens.. This police conduct is definitely not acceptable to the people in a democracy.
We are going through, in the words of the Greek poet, Aeschylus, “one of the periods of hope and endeavour which now and again light up the dark pages of history”. Clearly there are Malaysians who will not be brow-beaten to submission but will on the other hand stand up for justice and what is right. These brave cyclists will complete their journey on behalf of the people and the memorandum will surely be delivered to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on 18 December 2008.
If the police resort to brutal means to stop this endeavour. which provides hope for change, then we will have to ensure that there is a change in the government in the next general election to put a stop to this unhealthy behaviour of the police and teach the BN a lesson that there is a limit to their undemocratic rule. The dark pages of history will not dominate our lives forever.
P Ramakrishnan
President
11 December 2008.
Asia Sentinel: Bicycling with the Police in Malaysia
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1613&pop=1&page=1&Itemid=189
Written by Jed Yoong
What should be a pleasant if sweaty ride through nearly 400 kilometers of rubber and oil palm can be anything but if Malaysia's police are on your trail. And they were – out in force against a handful of riders, 30 of them kids, who had taken a bus south from Kuala Lumpur for a human rights bike ride sponsored by Jerit, or the Network of Oppressed People.
The ride, of about 50 people, mostly ethnic Indians, was supposed to start in Skudai, a Johor Bahru suburb, at 8:30 am on December but it was almost immediately interrupted when police appeared outside the headquarters of Suaram (The People’s Voice), a non-government organization. If one of the basic precepts of military engagement is to make sure you have overwhelming firepower against the enemy, the police succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
The riders’ purpose was a quirky protest by a small non-governmental organization for a flock of liberal social causes -- protection of workers caught in the global financial crisis, agitation for minimum wage legislation, the restoration of local government elections, abolition of the draconian Internal Security act, which allows for detention without trial, a plea for decent public housing and an end to the continuing privatization of basic state-owned facilities.
A long-distance bicycle ride, in Malaysia’s jungle heat and humidity, is rare indeed. After spending the night at a tuition center atop a nearby shop, we were to get on our way to eventually meet on December 18 with cyclists on the northern leg, who started from Kedah, at the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur to hand over the list of demands to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. There was a momentary bit of excitement when our group was confused with another threatening to stage a nude bike ride somewhere else.
Skudai is like any other Chinese-majority area in Malaysia with its mossy rows of double-storey shop lots. A crowd of mostly Chinese were having breakfast at Chinese and Indian Muslim (mamak) coffee shops located at a corner. Traffic was heavy and cars filled parking bays in front of the shops. But last Saturday, to our amazement, police trucks circled the vicinity with a couple parked near the Suaram office, with a roadblock erected about 50 meters away. About 30 uniformed policemen were scattered about and other plainclothes policemen blended in. Were there international criminals lurking about?
About 10 minutes later, a coordinator for Suaram found me where I was downloading pictures from my laptop and told me the police would begin arresting people. About five minutes later, concern rising in his voice, he came up to say the Jerit coordinator for the Southern leg, S. Arutchelvan, who is also secretary-general of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM, Socialist Party of Malaysia), and V Selvam, PSM central committee member, had been arrested, and that the police were threatening to break the grill door with a pair of massive pliers if we didn’t open up.
I contacted the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ismail Omar, to ask if he was aware that his officers in Johor were threatening forced entry. He said he had to check the case and "there must be a good reason" that the police wanted to break in.
He has since reportedly said that the campaign was illegal as Jerit had not applied for police permits to hold "gatherings" and "parades," which is what the police were calling the cycling group, and that Jerit is also unregistered and flouted the law.
Jerit maintained that cycling does not require a permit and that freedom of assembly is a constitutional guarantee, although the Police Act deems a group of three or more as an assembly requiring a permit. "We don't apply for permits," Aru said yesterday.
The next thing I knew, the police came in and demanded our Malaysian identity cards. Nyam Kee Han, the 25-year-old Suaram coordinator, was arrested along with two volunteers. In total, Jerit said, 16 people would be arrested that day. The rest of us, including over 30 teenagers as young as 13 and some Jerit coordinators, were not allowed to leave the premises. I was refused when I asked the police guarding the door if I could go out for a cigarette.
"We are effectively under house arrest," Y Kohila, JERIT secretariat coordinator said.
Everyone was released before noon but the cyclists were barred from cycling in the Skudai district. Outside Skudai, we were then told that we could not cycle because it might endanger the children. So the adult organisers cycled, only to be stopped by traffic police and summoned for not having light reflectors – an offence for which half the bicyclists in Johor could be charged.
The police didn’t stop there. The special branch followed us, often taking photographs and videos of us. "It's just intimidation," Kohila said.
After an action-packed first day, we thought the second day in Kluang, up the road, would be better. Distributing leaflets to the public about their campaign and gathering signatures, however, seemed to be another no-no. Two Suaram volunteers were arrested at the Kluang Parade shopping mall. I was also brought into the Kluang police headquarters for snapping photos without my press card. The police accused me of lying about being a journalist but refused to call my editor to verify my status. In the end, after sitting around the Criminal Investigations Department, with a poster of prime ministers that did not include Badawi on the wall, the police let us go and even offered to drop us back.
Our comrades up north didn't fare any better. Some bikes were burnt when a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the compound of Yayasan Aman, a charity connected to Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, in Penang. Even D Jeyakumar, was arrested. He is an opposition member of parliament who defeated the long-serving president of the Malaysian Indian Congress, S. Samy Vellu.
"Why are the police hell-bent in wanting to stop this peaceful campaign which is undertaken on behalf of the people and for the good of the people?” P Ramakrishnan, the president of the reform organization Aliran, asked in a prepared statement. “Where is the threat and who is being threatened by this endeavour that is aimed at compelling the Barisan Government to focus on the real issues affecting the people instead of indulging in politics to perpetuate their power?"
The Malaysia Bar Council agreed. “The police are not being fully utilised for crime prevention when they are asked to stop and arrest (the campaigners) throughout the country,” said Ambiga Sreenasvasan, the organization’s president. “The Bar Council finds this to be unacceptable as crimes are increasing every day, and yet the authorities are using the police (against) youth who are exercising their civil rights,"
At press time, the cyclists were about 20 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur and their goal, where they were met last night by songs and dancing by residents in a local low-cost flat development – and by the police, who have been following them throughout the ride, and who detained them again today, this time to investigate whether the kids had their parents’ consent. They have fixed their light reflectors, however, and no longer appear to form an outsized threat to the state. They plan to make their goal of handing over the letter to Abdullah Badawi Thursday — if the 50 are deemed not to be a force that might bring about the immediate collapse of the government.
Socialist Party of Malaysia: Police, stay out of politics!
PARTI SOSIALIS MALAYSIA
PRESS STATEMENT : 15 DECEMBER 2008
SELANGOR CPO AND DEPUTY IGP!
STAY OUT OF POLITICS
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) condemns the arrest, harassment, intimidation, humiliation and ill-treatment of JERIT cyclists and activists in Selangor. Both the JERIT's 'Ride for Change' campaigns were sabotaged and disrupted by the Rawang and Kajang police who had acted on orders with the sole intention of putting an end to the JERIT's nationwide campaign which is gaining momentum by the day.
The Police stooped so low today when they claimed that the children were exploited and were investigated under the Police Act for illegal procession and the Child Act for using children in their campaign. This is utter rubbish coming from the police force, which has long lost all its credibility.
All the young school children involved in the campaign have got parental consent and therefore the police action today is sheer intimidation and foul play.
The CPO of Selangor and the Deputy Inspector General of Police have been unscrupulous in their actions and statements. The have acted as cheap stooge to the ruling party rather than being neutral and professional in their work. That have clearly taken a bias political stand in trying to disrupt the JERIT campaign.
We call for the immediate release of all the cyclist, PSM National Deputy Chairperson M.Saraswathy, Treasurer A.Sivarajan and Central Committee Member and MP for Sungai Siput Dr. Jeyakumar immediately without any condition. We also call for the release of Rawang state assemblyperson Gan Pei Nie.
The police action in Kajang and Rawang today besides being unlawful is a sheer waste of public funds. The police instead of fighting crime, should be doing something more productive
If the police cannot be neutral, they might as well join politics
Released by
S.Arutchelvan, PSM secretary general
--visit our website at
http://parti-sosialis.org
Cross-country, human-rights biking: a Freedom Film Fest winner
http://www.klue.com.my/articles/2318-Crosscountry-humanrights-biking-a-Freedom-Film-Fest-2009-Competition-winner
October 8, 2009 -- In the first week of December 2008, two convoys of bicycles set off from Alor Setar and Skudai. Aside from protective gear, the cyclists sported red T-shirts - these identified them as participants of the "People - The Force of Change" campaign. For the next two weeks, they became Public Menace No 1.
Only natural: the cross-country ride was organised by Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (or JERIT, auw!), a coalition of blue-collar workers, students, urban settlers, and non-governmental organisations. Late in the course of the campaign, the authorities detained many of the (mostly) teenaged participants, to "save them from being misused and exploited by irresponsible people".
The journey was hazardous - no doubt about it. Riders had braved arson (8 bikes were torched during a stopover in Penang), arrests (more than 80 busts were made), and police harassment (road-blocks, questions into whether the cyclists belonged to secret societies). So yeah. These kids really needed saving.
Such speed-bumps notwithstanding, the bikes eventually got to Parliament, where they served a memo advocating workers' rights, universal housing, and other such worthy stuff.
As you can tell, the JERIT campaign got a tonne of press coverage - but Soh Sook Hwa's Kayuh - one of the three Freedom Film Fest (FFF) 2009 competition winners - offers a visual, insider's perspective of the 16-day odyssey. We talked to Sook Hwa about what the bike-ride was like, what it wanted to achieve, and why it is important for Malaysians to participate in our democracy.
~
Your film,
Kayuh, is an account of the JERIT cycling campaign. What was your part
in it? What was it designed to achieve?
I was a coordinator for the northern part of the bicycle campaign. I followed the whole 16-day journey.
The campaign was a timely effort. After the March 2008 election, people are looking for more real changes in our society. However, a lot of core issues have been overshadowed by twisted political scenarios, and the economy - which distract people from the underlying causes of their problems.
We wanted to raise awareness on 6 main issues: the need for a Minimum Wage Act; adequate housing; repeal of draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA); control of the price of goods; no privatisation of basic amenities and services; and the importance of restoring local council elections.
Finally, we would go to Parliament to submit a memorandum consisting of these points.
What was it like, on the road? You came under fire by the authorities - your bikes were even torched. How did participants react to these obstacles?
As the campaign was aimed to reach out to the public at each stop, we purposely used the old trunk roads that connect the small towns and rural areas. We organised local programmes at some stops, and did leafleting.
Both teams of cyclists were harassed by the police. They mounted roadblocks, carried out their so-called "regular checks". They used various excuses to stop us. They served summons to the Johor team for riding on bicycles without reflectors. They accused us of exploiting children. We ended up using a lot of time to deal with the police.
We tried to fulfil some of their requests - but if they were not reasonable, we had to stand strong. It is our right to cycle.
But we also gained something from the police. The JERIT campaign was published in the media every day; it helped us spread our demands to the public. And, somehow, it also "motivated" our cyclists.
Why is it important for people to participate in activism?
Even if I'm not a member of any political party, I see what I'm doing as political work. For me, the rakyat can't leave politics to the politicians. When we talk about a democratic society, we are not only talking about elections held once in five years; it's not just limited to voting rights.
Democracy is nothing if we have no participation in the decision-making process. We should look forward to playing a more proactive role.
So why make this film? What are you hoping to achieve?
I was inspired by the whole campaign. Ordinary people took up a pro-active role in mobilising at a grassroots level. That's a really good experience. I want to capture the spirit of the cyclists, with the hope that it will inspire other people to be involved in the struggle for a better Malaysia.