Mayor: No need to close Dataran on Aug 30

DBKL is not be expected to close off Dataran Merdeka on Aug 30 amid a planned Janji Demokrasi gathering there.

PETALING JAYA: Dataran Merdeka would remain open to the public on the eve of Merdeka Day, said Kuala Lumpur Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib today.

He told FMT that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has already prepared for cultural events on Aug 31 and does not foresee the need to close off the historic square.

His comments came amid a planned gathering called Janji Demokrasi on Aug 30 night at Dataran Merdeka, where a group of almost 50 organising NGOs are calling the public to wear yellow.

They are seeking to celebrate independence day while at the same time urging the government to fulfil the demands for reforms, especially those mooted by electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0.

Asked if City Hall would bar the group from entering the square, Ahmad Phesal said: “If the public were to go there, with their family, and enjoy themselves as usual, I don’t see a problem.”

“But if there are those who were to organise a special function, then we have to see the suitability and they would need our [City Hall] clearance and approval,” he said.

Ahmad Phesal said that the Dataran Merdeka field was meant for official government functions, and can only accommodate certain types of events.

So far, he said, there have been no applications for any specific event at Dataran Merdeka.

“So far, I don’t foresee the need to close off Dataran Merdeka,” he said.

A lock-down of Dataran Merdeka occurred prior to the April 28 Bersih 3.0 mammoth gathering.

Then, DBKL had denied permission for Bersih and its supporters to congregate there. The authorities even obtained a court order and fenced up the surroundings with razor wire to prevent the thousands who turned up.

The Janji Demokrasi organisers, Gabungan Janji (Coalition of Promises), has declared themselves an independent entity from Bersih 2.0.

They had stressed that the aim of the gathering was to celebrate Merdeka in their own way and was not a demonstration or protest.