What I learnt from covering Bersih 4 in Kuala Lumpur

As I write this, Bersih 4 just came to a close at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

Bersih 4: Four things you need to know

The demands of the organizers?

• Free and fair elections
• A transparent government
• The right to demonstrate
• Strengthening parliamentary democracy
• Saving the national economy

I was walking the streets in the sunshine and in the rain covering this rally since it began early Saturday, and through it all, one glaring reality dawned upon me.

But I'll get to that in a bit.

There were a thousand and one conclusions being made about Bersih 4 even while the rally was still taking place. In fact, even before it began.

And many more lessons will be drawn from what happened, long after the last of the yellow-clad demonstrators vacate our city streets.

The 'rally was peaceful' aspect is one popular conclusion being shared.

Also, the much disputed 'one-race dominated rally' theory, which has a certain degree of truth to it based on my first-hand observations.

As always, there are all the estimates being thrown around about how many participants actually took part.

Some say it's 200,000, some say 20,000.

Then there was the surprise appearance of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, not once but twice!

People are still talking about it, and drawing even more conclusions as to the significance of his presence at the rally.

But I fear all the debate on social media and at the local coffee shop actually misses the point on what really matters the most.

And that is the divided state of our nation.

On one side, there is the 'hate' towards the ruling government and everything it does, especially among those in urban areas, and it is at an all-time high.

On the other, we have those who are in 'absolute' support of the ruling government, and everything it does.

Both schools of thought do not contribute towards nation-building.

As we celebrate our 58th year of independence, what we need most is moderation, on the ground among the rakyat, and also among the leadership of both sides.

So where is this 'middle ground'?

When I look at parties in the Opposition, I feel they still have much to prove before they can ever form a working Federal government.

The DAP's idea of Malaysian Malaysia is a great concept, but it is only good on paper. Does the party really walk the talk?

PKR seems more interested in getting it's dear leader out of prison, and the party's struggle seems firmly focused around that same person.

Pas? It's currently facing a perception crisis which makes it even harder for those on the fence to support it.

As for Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB), well, I believe they are just a bunch of bitter Pas politicians. I doubt Malaysians need leaders who quit their own party just because they lost in their party elections.

So where does that leave us?

One group of Malaysians obviously feels the state of the nation has now reached a stage of desperation, and see Bersih as a manifestation of this desperation.

Desperate times, or so the saying goes.

But one interesting thing I noticed while I was covering the event was that a large number of the participants did not appear to want for much.

This observation I make is superficial at best, based on their fancy smart phones, branded watches, trendy footwear and designer sunglasses.

I also could not help but notice the posh accents used by some of the younger, trendier rally-goers.

Certainly, they did not pick it up during their time studying at Universiti Sains Malaysia like me.

The main conclusion I can draw from my experience covering the rally is this; the urban-rural divide, and the gap between the haves and the have-nots, is omnipresent in Malaysia.

As for whether Bersih 4 actually met its objectives, I guess we just have to wait for the next general election to find out.

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*Views expressed here are personally of the author's and does not necessarily reflect those of Astro AWANI.