Celoteh Captain Shafari - continue...

continue...

Before leaving for SGBK, we had our briefing in the CDM conference room at Sultan Hotel by CDM himself. Malaysian contigent was issued with only 100 tickets but only 50 for the VIP stand and the balance were scattered. For safety measures, only 50 were allowed to go in. However there were students who had purchased their own tickets and a few of the embassy staff who had special passes and thus the number became 66. We boarded a coach which is just behind the players' coach and left for the stadium at 6.00 pm. We were escorted by the police outriders and a few plainsclothed police personnel on motorcycles. At that moment, we were looking forward to be in the stadium. Yeah.. rasa bangga dan perasaan takut belum menyerap lagi...

From the bus, we could see many Indonesian fans and mostly in red shirts all over.. as Sultan Hotel is only 2 km away from SGBK. FYI the crowd had started as early as 1 pm and one could imagine how big the crowd was by 6 pm. (I recalled the same as when Malaysia vs Singapore at Bukit Jalil Stadium for the World Cup qualifying rounds; only difference we behaved a little better but then at times we were no difference when we booed and showed nasty finger signs to the few Singaporeans fans and when some in the crowd booed during Singapore's National Anthem).

Our coach passed through the main entrance gate without much problem but as we approached the stadium, and when the red supporters knew who we were, then they started to show their middle fingers, thumb down signs, kissing their shirts, showing signs for us to go back, knocking on our bus etc. Then our bus came to a stalled, sometimes moving for a few inches...and the crowd became bigger and surrounding our coach.... they were getting more rowdy. But still we were not afraid. Some of us could still afford to joke about them. First 10-15 minutes, some of us were getting nervous...and I could see some pale faces. Outside, the crowd were getting more hostile and I could see the police were not doing anything. A few from the crowd and the cameraman standing on a pillar did tell something to the crowd and after that the knocking on the bus was stopped but only for a minute or two and then the thumping on the bus, the showing of the middle fingers, throwing of water bottles, shouting of obscene languages and condeming Malaysia started all over again. Now, we were getting anxious and I could see more than half in the bus were keeping silent; could probably praying or thinking of the loved ones back home...the feelings of fear was creeping in .... and after 30 minutes being standed...I believe most of us were really feeling afraid then... and the assumptions of "What if they torched the bus.., What if they threw stones and broke the bus windows..., What if they punctured the tyres....What if the bus had to turn back to Hotel Sultan.... and I believed all in the bus had the thought of regretting of being in that bus at that moment. Me, I just wanted to changed into a different T shirt, get down the bus and walked into the SGBK as an ordinary supporter. Yes.. I wanted so much to be in the stadium with or without others as I wanted to tell to the whole world that sports and games are to be enjoyed without fear and no racism at all . But then my other thought was- to come in a group, no matter what happens, let us all face it as a group. Yeah... we must take it as a group, no matter we were afraid or otherwise.

(to be continued)