Bersih 2.0 must respect King's wishes and call off July 9 rally, otherwise "we will fight to the very end".
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth said today it will call off its plan to hold a counter-protest to Bersih 2.0′s July 9 rally only if the election watchdog respects the King’s call for dialogue from all parties.
Kelab Putera 1Malaysia chairman Azeez Rahim, co-organiser of the “Patriot” counter-rally with Umno Youth, said the group was willing to “stand down” in deference to the King’s wishes but warned Bersih not to carry on with the rally.
He said should the group carry out the street rally as planned, Patriot will be “at the frontlines” to protect the country from any “attempt to destabilise the country”.
“If they stand down, we agree… but we remind all parties not to be treacherous to the King,” he told reporters at Umno Youth headquarters here.
According to Azeez, Patriot represents the country’s so-called “silent majority” who he claimed were opposed to the Bersih 2.0′s planned mass demonstration.
He also called on the police to continue maintaining peace and urged them to take stern action against any party that ignores the King’s advise.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth information chief Reezal Merican Naina Merican said Patriot supporters are more than willing to “fight to the very end” to defend the monarch and the Federal Constitution from any quarters that threatens either.
“We will not back off even an inch,” he said.
Earlier today, Bersih chairman S Ambiga said the group will be seeking an audience with the ruler to convey their plea for a free and fair elections and will call off the planned rally if they are advised to do so.
Letter sent to palace
Ambiga said she will try and seek an audience with the King before the planned rally this Saturday to communicate their concerns before announcing their next move.
The former Bar Council president said the decision was reached after an emergency meeting of Bersih representatives last night.
A letter has already been sent to the palace this morning, she revealed.
In an unexpected and rare move, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin issued an edict last night in an apparent bid to defuse the tension, advising the government to hold consultations with Bersih 2.0 on the issue of free and fair elections.
“I urge that amid the political fervour of a section of the people to bolster democracy in our country, it must also be ensured that this demand on democracy does not bring destruction to the country,” the King said in a statement yesterday.
The King also said that street demonstrations were not part of Malaysian political culture, saying that the people “cannot be following too much the practices in other countries, as harmony and stability are vital foundations for a country and which all quarters must protect”.
Bersih 2.0 and its Pakatan Rakyat backers could find itself in an unfavourable position as insisting to carry on with the rally can easily be seen as a direct affront to the palace.
Earlier today Malay rightwing group Perkasa also said it was willing to cancel its anti-Bersih rally if Bersih calls off it gathering.
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