KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — On the first-week anniversary of Bersih 2.0’s electoral rally today, a group of supporters calling themselves Generation 709 re-enacted part of the walk to high-end mall Avenue K in memory of fellow marcher Baharuddin Ahmad who died on July 9.
Led by Youth for Change secretary Lee Khai Loon, some 30 members of the public joined in the five-minute walk from KLCC Park to Avenue K across the road.
Most were dressed in the canary colour, in answer to Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s previous call for them to show support by making every Saturday a “yellow” day.
“This is not any political party programme. This is Generation 709. This is for all who are concerned about democracy and peace in Malaysia,” Lee shouted at the group’s rallying point in front of the KLCC fountain earlier this afternoon as the mall management security guards looked on in bemusement.
“We are all for interests of Malaysia... We are for the democratisation of Malaysia,” added Lee who is also PKR Youth information chief.
Despite his words, his party colleague Rozan Mat Rasip, aide to Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, stood out in his PKR shirt of white and light blue.
Lee said the new grassroots movement was backing the call to free Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s six members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, and demanded the police apologise for their uncalled for actions over the Bersih affair.
He said the group will be “maximising” social media use, including Facebook and Twitter, to reach out to more Malaysian youth across the country and abroad for their support.
He noted that even Queen Elizabeth II was decked out in yellow at her recent meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on his official visit to Britain, claiming it showed the global community’s disdain for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition’s actions last week.
The gathering at KLCC Park lasted some 20 minutes before the mall security moved to chase them off the private property.
“The KLCC management’s policy is that any activity [held within our premises] must have permission from us,” said a man dressed in a black T-shirt who moved to disperse the group. He declined to give his name.
Lee agreed and led his group off to Avenue K, chanting “Justice for Baharuddin, Keadilan for Baharuddin!” and “Hidup Baharuddin!”
Passing motorists, including a taxi driver and a bus driver who coincidentally was manning bus no. 79 to KLCC, honked their vehicle horns in support as they slowed down to give the thumbs up.