DBKL, PKR in deadlock over rally venue

DBKL mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib claimed the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) had applied to use Padang Merbok for their charity run as far back as in December 2012.

KUALA LUMPUR: Negotiations between KL city council (DBKL) and PKR over the use of Padang Merbok as the Blackout 505 venue has met a deadlock, with mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib today insisting that the field is not available on June 22.

He told reporters that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) had opted for the venue to organise a charity run on June 23, and not Dataran Merdeka as claimed by the oppositions.

“I have letters to prove that OCM has indeed applied for Padang Merbok since December last year, I have no idea how they (the opposition) came into the conclusion of otherwise.

“I didn’t do this after they (the opposition) said they wanted Padang Merbok, but it was indeed what the third party has applied for,” he said without showing OCM’s letter to DBKL.

Ahmad Phesal’s remarks followed claims by PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli that the mayor had lied about the charity run’s venue and used it as an excuse to reject the party’s application for the rally, which is slated for June 22.

Ahmad Phesal had earlier this week said that City Hall could not approve the rally based on three reasons, namely to give space to OCM to prepare for the charity run a day earlier; to preserve the landscape and decorations along Jalan Parlimen and to avoid massive traffic congestion in the city.

Countering Ahmad Phesal’s claims later, Rafizi pointed out that OCM’s website stated that the charity run was scheduled to begin and end at Dataran Merdeka and not Padang Merbok.

Ahmad Phesal said today that DBKL is willing to meet with PKR tomorrow to trash out the differences.

“We can arrange for them to use the alternative venues. In fact the police also have no problem with their rally, but we are proposing to them a seated venue such as Stadium Merdeka or Stadium Titiwangsa,” he said.

The opposition has organised a string of massive public gatherings around the country in protest of electoral fraud since the May 5 polls, which they claimed was rigged.