Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah today responded to claims that the electoral watchdog was wasting time and money by holding yet another mega rally on Nov 19.

Detailing the changes prompted by the four rallies before this, she also addressed criticism over the turnout of Bersih 4 last year, which was predominantly ethnic Chinese.

Among the impact were the formation of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform, the use of indelible ink and voter turnouts of a whopping 83 percent, she said.

More tangible, she said, was the fact that Malaysians were banding together for a cause regardless of ethnicity.

“For the first time we are together when we carry out our street protests - not as a race, but as Malaysians.

“If you say Bersih 4 was made up of Chinese majority - yes, but I don’t make excuses for that.

“There were Malays as well as other races and together I consider them as Malaysians who want to have a say in this repressive system.

“So what if more of one race - aren’t Malaysians allowed to speak?” she asked in a Facebook posting.

Maria also counted BN’s failure to gain two-thirds majority in the 2008 election, and the further reduction of the BN majority in the 2013 polls as evidence that Bersih rallies from 2007 to 2012 had an impact.

“(Bersih) broke the fear factor as well as challenged race politics,” she said.

“I don’t think anyone has thrown any money into the dump (by donating to Bersih).”

She said the ongoing Bersih convoy and Bersih 5 rally is to galvanise national frustration over the state of the country into action.

As such, she urged all to support the cause and not be cowed by the red shirt anti-Bersih groups.

‘Our bravery is not singular but collective’

“If we show our fear and not protest then we deserve to have a repressive Malaysia and we have to give up our right to complain.

“We have come so far in fighting for our future. Let us not do that - our bravery is not singular but collective,” she said.

The Bersih 5 rally in Kuala Lumpur is to demand clean government, clean elections, the right to dissent, strengthening of democracy and empowerment of Sabah and Sarawak.

The convoy which kicks off every weekend since Oct 1 from various locations nationwide have faced attacks from the red shirts.

A Bersih activist was assaulted while journalists were roughed up for trying to capture footage of clashes.

Red shirts leader and Sungai Besar Umno division chief Jamal Md Yunos has apologised for attacks against media.

He was arrested by police on Wednesday, and released the next day on police bail. Several other red shirt protesters were also arrested over the attack incidents, prompting the group to decry police bias.