Let them do their job! The media is showing us who they really are! Dogs! Anjing! Liars! Penipu! They supported me and now they want to see me guilty. Guilty! Do you think I am guilty?

The crowd roared. Some fifty thousand voices, all shouting in unison.

No! HE is guilty!

Allahu Akhbar! Allahu Akhbar!

Together our fists rose in solidarity.

We who are gathered here in Kuala Lumpur pledge to defend the freedom and sanctity of the nation to the last drop of our blood… We resolve to revive the spirit of freedom… We will not suffer injustice and oppression in the land… We will not suffer the replacement of foreign oppressors with those raised from among ourselves… We oppose all cruel and oppressive laws which deny the people their fundamental rights and freedoms… We denounce those who corrupt our system of justice… We denounce corruption, abuse of power and the conspiracy devised by a greedy elite to blind the people to the truth in order to maintain their grip on power and wealth!

The crowd roared.

Reformasi! Reformasi!

Anwar, voice hoarse and fist raised, continued.

We raise the spirit of freedom! We are united against oppression! We are united in our resolve to establish justice! Long live the people! Give victory to Reform! We demand the resignation of Mahathir Mohamad!

Sumi and I looked at each other. We grinned widely. The revolution had begun.

Behind us, the Federal Reserve Unit trucks rolled up and the clanging started.

As if out of politeness, the bell rang three times. And then jets of water hit us like a torrent of stones. A merciless pounding. Water bullets. We were getting a beating.

We screamed. I fell against a man behind me. He fell against someone else and together we tumbled to the ground like tiddlywinks. Arms, legs, hair, everywhere. All flailing. We got up and we started running. Or tried to. There was panic, confusion. We ran into each other, smacking into arms, chests, elbows. No escape. There was water in my mouth, in my ears. My camera was under my shirt. Sumi had vanished.

The crowd moved like a school of fish; it swayed to the right to repel a predator, then to the left to consolidate with greater strength. Right. Left. Right. Then another gust of water came and the configuration broke. I was in a sea of wet beasts, sweaty and angry in a swirling, hot sea.

I heard the hailer again.

Undur! Undur!

Retreat! Retreat now!

The crowd moaned. It was low, gurgly, like fish out of water, drowning in air. The water ceased. Bodies were exposed, stunned. Brown. Yellow. Black. Soggy eyes stared ahead at the figure on the podium. He was still there. Anwar stood strong and resolute.

We will fight this. We will overcome this. Malaysians will rise, now! This is the time to rise!

A tide of drenched people. We could smell one another’s unravelling scents: salty, raw, ripe.

Reformasi!

Reformasi!

Reformasi!