Rais: Rally can’t be held in three KL stadiums

PETALING JAYA - As Bersih 2.0 is an illegal entity, any application by the rally organiser to use the Merdeka, National and Bukit Jalil stadiums will not be considered, said Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim.

He added that the organiser should instead plan to hold the rally in stadiums in states controlled by Pakatan Rakyat.

Rais said the authorities should also give due consideration to those who opposed the Bersih 2.0 rally, based on the thousands of police reports lodged against it.

In a related development, the management of Stadium Merdeka has rejected Bersih 2.0’s application to use its premises on July 9.

Bersih 2.0 steering committee said in a statement that the officer in charge of booking at the stadium had denied them the use of the facility because it was being used for an internal sports event.

Bersih was also told that the stadium was undergoing renovation.

“Bersih is of the view that a proper venue that reflects the scale and centrality of this issue to Malaysians throughout the nation must be selected.

“We have decided that Stadium Merdeka is the only location that appropriately meets the criteria, and the Prime Minister must, as a matter of honour, make good on his offer to let us use an appropriate stadium,” said the statement issued yesterday.

Meanwhile, the National Stadium Board (NSB) expressed concern that Bersih 2.0 would pick any of its stadiums for the rally.

“We hope the organisers will not pick our stadiums because we are worried that the place will be vandalised,” its representative told Bernama yesterday.

NSB manages the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil, the Bukit Kiara Sports Complex, the Jalan Duta Sports Complex and the Matsushita Sports Complex in Shah Alam.

In Kuala Lumpur, City Hall and several outlets of the Mydin emporium group will close on Saturday as a precautionary measure in the event the Bersih 2.0 street rally goes ahead as planned.

City Hall corporate communications director Anwar Mohd Zain said City Hall office buildings in Jalan Raja Laut would be closed and all employees have been told not to come to work on Saturday.

- The Star