KL lost RM20 million investment due to Bersih ruckus

Raja Nong Chik in a file photo.

PUTRAJAYA, May 26 — Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin says the Bersih rally on April 28 cost Kuala Lumpur a RM20 million investment from South Korea.

"After Bersih, I contacted the South Korean businessman and asked about the investment but the answer was 'Not For Now' after seeing the ruckus on television," he told reporters after opening the rural segment of Million Youth Assembly here today.

This did not include losses incurred by traders in Kuala Lumpur and  RM300,000 spent by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to repair damage caused by participants of the rally.

DBKL also had to pay contractor Alam Flora to clean up the garbage left by Bersih participants.

Raja Nong Chik explained that Dataran Merdeka is a historical area and it is the responsibility of DBKL to maintain and protect it.

"We can provide stadiums for rallies but they insisted on doing it at Dataran Merdeka. Their action is a violation of the Peaceful Assembly Act."

He said Bersih supporters should not twist facts that they can do as they wish at Dataran Merdeka as it belongs to peace loving Malaysians. — Bernama