709: A Penangite relates his story

Yeap Ban Choon, a businessman from Penang and an avid Facebook user relates his experience as a demonstrator during the Bersih march on 9 July 2011. Bersih is a coaliation of NGOs demanding free and fair elections. The ruling government outlawed the Bersih movement together with its yellow T-shirts and other related materials, and severely clamped down on Bersih supporters. 

Even the media was not spared. Four Chinese dailies were called up by the government for publishing articles that were described as “uncomfortable” to the ruling party although the authorities claimed that they were just regular meetings.

Currently, six members of Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) are still detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), which is detention of up to 60 days without trial for purportedly supporting the Bersih movement.

Bersih 2.0 is also dubbed as “709”.

Video by Carolyn Khor