1998 - 2018

I think I just have to document this. I don't exactly know why, but DSAI's release seems like an important thing to remember.

It all started in 1998 - when he was sacked - I was already pro-Anwar. I started adding alphabet H at the end of my name, bersempena nama anak beliau, Nurul Izzah. To be exact, aku eja nama aku macam ni - Izza(h). Haha, kengkonon, either way, Izza or Izzah. Pernah terlintas jugak dalam fikiran masa tu, mungkin bakal suami nanti orang yang nama start dengan huruf H kot. In hindsight, it actually made sense, haha.

Dan seingat aku lagi, mak pernah bagitau that Mak Abah named me after Anwar Ibrahim's daughter,  who is 2 years older than me, so it made sense. Mungkin Mak Abah memang dah follow Anwar Ibrahim dah zaman tu.

Teringat malam-malam lepas prep duk bersembang hal politik dengan dormmates. Masa tu internet was scarce, tak di hujung jari macam sekarang. Dan bukan semua orang ada line Internet dekat rumah.  Maka we based on hardcopy reading materials, newspaper from both government and opposition sides, lepas tu ada lah flyers and brcohures. And the fact that one of the girls in my batch is related to Anwar Ibrahim. 

Semangat reformasi masa tu memang lain macam, haha. Tapi aku tak pernahlah join mana-mana demonstrasi Reformasi masa tu. Ada satu malam, lepas habis prep malam, masa nak balik hostel, ada ramai FRU dalam school compund, tapi dah tak ingat kenapa. Mungkin ada demonstrasi kat PWTC kot. Cuaklah perasaan masa tu. But nothing bad happened.

Masa matriks pun jumpa ramai geng yang sama ideologi jadi semangat tu tetap menebal.

Tapi zaman uni macam dah slowed down. I don't remember why. Mungkin tak ada geng yang sama-sama haluan kiri. atau disebabkan Aukujanji masa tu. By right, masa tahun PRU 2004 I was already entitled to vote, but I'm pretty sure I didn't register. Tapi kalau register pun mungkin tak balik mengundi jugak, sebab zaman tu bukannya boleh suka-suka balik kampung sebab faktor harga tiket bas dan jarak perjalanan yang sungguh tak mesra pelajar. 

Bila dah kerja, ni zaman yang aku lost track of almost memories. Tapi aku pernah terserempak dengan Nurul Izzah kat Bangsar Village somewhere in 2008 or 2009, fangirl moment kejap, tapi cuma senyum dari jauh jelah. 

Dan masa PRU13, adalah timbul balik semangat tu sebab ada gang, mostly my Chinese friends. Tapi seingat aku masa tu bukan semangat reformasi dah, more to spread anti-racism sentiment lah kononnya. And also, it was my first time voting, although the ones I voted for both DUN and Parlimen lost.

So now, 2018, after 20 years, Anwar Ibrahim is finally a free man. Sebagai salah seorang yang pro-his side all the way, it is an inspiring moment for me. Of what patience and perseverance pays.