Police record statements from Ambiga, Samad Said

The Bersih leader, national laureate Ahmad Said and Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali were summoned to the police headquarters in connection with their respective rallies on July 9.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersih 2.0 chairman S Ambiga and national laureate A Samad Said today went to the Dang Wangi police headquarters to give their statements in relation to the upcoming Bersih rally.

Samad was flanked by PKR vice-president N Surendran and Lawyers for Liberty coordinator Fadiah Nadwa Fikri.

All four of them entered the police headquarters at about 2pm and left at about 4pm.

Bersih will be holding a mass rally on July 9 to call for electoral reforms in the country. Perkasa and Umno Youth have also announced that they would hold a counter rally on the same day.

Ambiga told reporters later that she was unsure under which the law she was being investigated but believed it was pertaining to the rally.

On whether she would apply for a police permit to hold the rally, Ambiga, who was a former Bar council president, said she would not do so.

She also criticised the police for arresting several Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders over the weekend, saying it was ridiculous to accuse them of reviving communism.

“It’s utter rubbish and ridiculous. The authorities should try to engage us more, not threaten us,” Ambiga said.

Over the weekend, about 30 PSM members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar, were arrested during their “Udahlah tu…Bersaralah BN” (Enough already – Retire now) campaign.

Police claimed that the participants were a threat to national security as they were carrying materials containing communist elements.

Samad said he was upset that his poem dedicated to Bersih was being investigated, adding that his poem was written with good intentions.

He said that it was strange that anyone would consider his literary work a threat to national security.

On whether the action against him would deter other writers from expressing their views on certain issues, he said that should not be the case.

“Instead, this should motivate them to write more,” said Samad, who confirmed his participation in the Bersih rally.

‘Act now’

Meanwhile, Surendran confirmed that all four of them were being investigated under the Sedition Act and the Police Act.

“Though Fadiah and I came to represent Samad, the police issued us a notice as well.

“Therefore, we have to be present here tomorrow at 3pm to give our statement,” said Surendran.

Meanwhile, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, who was earlier present to have his statement recorded, urged the home ministry to take swift action against the Bersih organisers.

“Act now. Don’t wait till it’s too late,” said Ibrahim.

He was commenting on Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s statement yesterday that the government would not rule out using the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the organisers of the march.

Ibrahim,who is also Pasir Mas MP, said the Bersih rally would only serve to divide the Malays even further.

“Though Bersih is led by Ambiga, fewer Indians and Chinese will turn out for the rally. It would be the Malays from PAS and PKR who would be joining hands with her.

“Surely it will result in a clash between the Malays,” he said.

Also present today was Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Rizalman Mokhtar who arrived to apply for a police permit to hold his rally.

Rizalman, however, said that Umno Youth would go ahead with the rally should the police deny them the permit.

“We will avoid the Bersih participants on the day. If we do bump into one another, we would ensure everything would go on peacefully,” he said.