Rally venue: Pakatan leaders to make final decision

Pakatan leaders will meet to decide on the location of the final 'Black 505' rally.

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli said Pakatan Rakyat leaders and all the NGOs involved will meet to decide on the venue of the final “Black 505″ rally.

“We will have to make a final decision as the meeting with the Mayor of KL has not been very useful. For now it remains as status quo,” said the Pandan MP.

“Pakatan leaders will be meeting with the NGOs involved to discuss the matter. Thus far, there are no changes on the venue,” he added.

Rafizi met Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib this morning alongside Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun and Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul to discuss the reasons as to why Padang Merbok could not be used.

The City Hall had earlier rejected Pakatan’s application to use Padang Merbok as the venue for the final rally claiming that the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) needed the venue one day before their event on June 23 for preparations.

Rafizi said despite showing evidence of the OCM being held in Merdeka Square based on the information provided on their website, City Hall was able to show proof for their side of the story.

“The meeting was cordial but both sides stood their ground. Now its up to the leadership to decide,” he said.

“However,I doubt there will be any changes on the venue. We’ll keep you updated for sure,” he added.

Rafizi also said that a bad precedent is about to be set if the authorities keep insisting that the rally be held in a stadium.

“The Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 does not state that a rally should only be held in a stadium, it can be held even in an open area,” he said.

“The authorities are setting a bad example by asking us to hold the rally in a stadium. This defines the Act in a whole different way,” he added.

The City Hall had offered the Merdeka Stadium and Titiwangsa Stadium as alternatives for Pakatan to hold their gathering.