I Say UBAH!
Ours are made with pride not bought with money recklessly thrown.
Queenie
I say `Ubah’ to those who say there is none.
To those who snidely belittle the flourishing of little multi-coloured flags in neighbourhoods everywhere -from round-abouts to gated, guarded compounds, pavements to parks – I say keep your snooty snouts lower than their lofty perches.
These little cloth flowers were sewn by volunteers huddled over old-fashioned sewing machines or stitched by willing hands in a private home open freely for those came unfettered by party bullies nor were they paid.
As elderly grandfathers, housewives, kids and the youth from all walks of life, ilk, and belief systems cut, sewed and attached the cloth scraps to wire holders, they were united in one mission. Ubah.
To those who think hoisting a new ruling party to take over one that has long ago over ran its use-by date (cowed their citizenry, dared to even call its country club members the elite!) merely means exchanging identical sets, I say you failed to see the real worth of it all.
I say you failed to see the hope in the eyes of Malaysians.
– Who have come out in increasing multitudes to heed the call of those few brave ones who had mustered BERSIH, MANSUHKAN ISA and the many other peaceful street protests.
– Who, before, stayed silent nor bothered to register as voters – new voter registration has increased by double-digit percentages.
– Who now dare to discuss politics in coffee shops, bus terminals, office canteens when before these topics were taboo and frowned upon.
I say you failed to see the change that is most vital of all.
The change that has swapped fear for courage, indifference to action, uncaring to caring, unwillingness to volunteerism and yes, `Tidak Apa’ to `Ubah’.
It is not so much who stays in power, who takes over, who cheats, who lies. It is that we have become the change. We are the change.
And that itself is the triumph, the hard won victory, the long self-struggle, the rising above May 13’s, fears, threats, bullying and unjust systems.
To those who sniff at the little steps we take, who brusquely wave away our efforts as ineffectual, and deride us for wanting to assert our newfound voice, I say to you, our change is mighty for we have moved on. Perhaps, you have not.
Look at the BN machinery minting their platoons of ceramah tents, flotillas of flags, billions worth of cash hand-outs, and advertising.
Then look again at the Malaysian `spring flowers’ – nothing like the other side of course. But you see ours are made with pride not bought with money recklessly thrown.
If you still say, a change in government is no change at all, you have missed the big picture. For the change has come, the change is us.
You have failed to diminish the hope in our eyes.
You have failed to dim out the fires in our souls.
Stop throwing bricks, it’s time to build the house.