'Notice given, so Perlis Black 505 to go on'

Pakatan Rakyat's thanksgiving-cum-‘Black 505' rally in Perlis will proceed as scheduled tonight, in spite of a police warning of action against its organisers.

The rally is scheduled at 9pm at Kampung Bakau, Kangar, behind the Public Bank.

PKR Youth vice-chief Chan Ming Kai pointed out that the party had informed the police of the thanksgiving event 12 days ago, on May 29, and that the police had acknowledged the application on June 4.

In another letter dated June 3, Chan said he had told the police that the event had been updated to include a ‘Black 505' rally, as part of a series of protests against alleged fraud during the 13th general election last month.

Chan, the Indera Kayangan state assemblyperson, said the police were also informed that there would be additional speakers.

However, the police then said they could not process the application just a day before the rally.

"As far as we are concerned, whether the rally is ‘Black 505' or not, we had already informed the police that there would be a gathering at the place more than 10 days ago," he said when contacted today.

Chan said the police claimed they could not process the application due to "incomplete information", as they wanted proof of the landowner’s consent to use of the venue for the rally.

"The land is under the Perlis State Economic Development Corporation, a government-linked company, so to us the land is under the government.

“We are not using using their building. We’re just using the (vacant) land and the roads there, and it is also not a very open area.”

He added that the police response did not mention that Pakatan has failed to provide the compulsory 10-day notice or that the rally is illegal.

As such, he stressed that the rally will proceed tonight and said he hoped that there would be no trouble.

"We expect their (police) good cooperation with us," said Chan, who will be among the speakers alongside PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

National news agency Bernama had yesterday quoted Kangar acting police chief Ismail Che Isa as saying that the organisers could face action as they had failed to notify police about the rally under Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.