Obscure Malaysia

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Worldwide | Tuesday, November 8, 2011 | flickr photos

The series of photos I’ve assembled were taken during the Bersih Rally 2.0, a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur held on July 9th 2011. The rally was pushing for free and fair elections in Malaysia. The police force was heavily deployed around the city to stop demonstrators to continue with the peaceful march. As I went there alone as an observer and was not attached with any media, I was limited to document the rally without the expense of my safety from the police’s perspective. The rally raised concerns about the restriction of freedom of expression in Malaysia as it was initially aimed to hold a peaceful congregation.

I am Rafika Ismail, a geologist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photography to me means more than just taking beautiful and profound pictures. Photography is my passion. It is what I am willing to give my full commitment to and what defines me as a person. For all my life, I have always wanted to make a difference; just like many others I’m sure. I believe I have the potential to not only create thought-provoking photographs but also contribute back to society with new/forgotten convictions and perspectives.

I’m a self-taught photographer and up till now, my only guidance in photography is my appetite to seek and learn, the mistakes I’ve made, perseverance and the immense faith my family and friends have in me. But even with such bona fide attempts and aspirations, I believe one could only go so far without proper edification and exposure. And I for one would like to go far in photography by seizing this learning opportunity to try and eventually be the conduit between those whose voices are unheard, and the audience.