COMMENT | No use lah, we protest also, all still the same. That was basically what several of my friends lamented when I posted about the 10th anniversary of Bersih 2.0 on Friday (July 9).

It was sad to read of such despair on my social media. And they were partly justified - what’s the point of pushing so hard for change when the politicians can just rip off their badges and slap on new ones like fake pasar malam bags?

But 2021 is very different from 2011. Today, everybody is talking about when the “blardy garmen” is going to fall. About whether the Sheraton Move betrayers are going to be betrayed by their own “friends” in the current Game of Toilet Thrones. Call it karma.

Compare this to ten years ago when it seemed impossible that the almighty BN could ever be toppled. What has caused this change?

I believe it’s because the people have awakened. We are now bolder, more outspoken, whether in person or online. People are no longer so scared to publicly criticise the powerful. But this has taken time to achieve. Empowerment is a long process, like preparing a banquet. It’s not just boiling a packet of instant noodles...