COMMENT | Last week was the 10th anniversary of the Bersih 2.0 rally. Although I shared some of my memories of the rally on social media, I decided to take some time to reflect on the public demonstration before penning this article.

For the uninitiated, on July 9, 2011, tens of thousands of Malaysians from all walks of life descended upon Kuala Lumpur for the Bersih 2.0 public protest.

Unlike the first Bersih protest, Bersih 2.0 was organised by the Bersih 2.0, an organisation that was not comprised of any political party.

The organisers listed eight demands for free and fair elections. They included the clean-up of electoral rolls, use of inedible ink, reform postal voting, setting a minimum of 21 days for campaigning period, free and fair access to the mainstream media, among their demands.

They also wanted the strengthening of public institutions, end of corruption, and putting an end to ‘dirty politics’...