Yellow Shirt Legend “Aunty Bersih” Dies At 78
She became the defining image of the Bersih rallies back then.
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The legendary Anne Ooi, famously known as “Aunty Bersih” passed away today at the age of 78.
No cause of death was announced but Ooi had been hospitalised while in Australia.
Bersih confirmed her passing in a social media announcement.
We are saddened to share that Anne Ooi, dearly known by many Malaysians as Aunty Bersih, has passed away.
— BERSIH (@bersihofficial) March 26, 2024
A former English teacher, she walked for Malaysian democracy on 2 July 2009 and encountered tear gas and water cannons. The iconic image of Aunty Bersih dressed in a bright… pic.twitter.com/B5d3RNIrny
“We are saddened to share that Anne Ooi, dearly known by many Malaysians as Aunty Bersih, has passed away,” Bersih said in the captions.
According to Malaysiakini, citing a Facebook post by Ooi’s daughter, well-known dancer and choreographer Elaine Petra Pedley, the septuagenarian had been admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital abroad two days ago.
Anne Ooi
A Penangite, Ooi became involved in Malaysian activism, particularly the Bersih rallies, after moving to Kuala Lumpur in 2004.
She was a former English teacher.
On July 9, 2011, Ooi joined the rally, marching for Malaysian democracy and encountered water cannons and tear gas.
“The iconic image of Aunty Bersih dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt and holding white chrysanthemums, drenched with chemical-laced water outside the Tung Shin Hospital, became the defining image of Bersih 2 rally,” Bersih added.
“She spoke for hundreds if not millions, of everyday Malaysians who love their country enough to speak up and take action when something is wrong.”
Her participation in the Bersih 2.0 rally in 2011 solidified her place in the public consciousness.
Over the years, Ooi attended major rallies and was found guilty under Section 143 of the Penal Code for illegal assembly in the Black 505 demonstration against the 13th general election results in 2016.
“She deserves to be remembered by Malaysians as an icon reflecting the struggles of ordinary citizens for our democracy,” Bersih executive director Ooi Kok Hin said, as reported by FMT.
Back in 2018, FMT caught up with her on the sidelines of a rally outside the Parliament building to protest the rights of low-wage earners.
At the time, the minimum wage of RM1,500 had yet to be enforced.
Ooi carried a banner that read “RM50 mana cukup” (RM50 is not enough) and told the news portal that she had no plans of slowing down, with regard to her activism.
She told them that she would protest for many things.
Whatever protest against whatever they do that is not right.
Anne Ooi
At the Bersih rally, when the photo of her drenched in water fired by the police’s water cannon went viral, she found herself becoming an inadvertent icon of the people’s voice.
It was apparent then that this aunty did not care about the sudden fame she found herself in, but rather she embraced it as long as it helped the people find their voice.
Malaysiakini asked her if she wanted the social media “madness” at the time to stop, and Ooi said if it was just for her own personal honour, she wanted it to stop.
“I don’t want honour, it’s not mine. It’s everybody’s fight,” she said as reported by Malaysiakini.
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