Perkasa tells supporters not to bring weapons

Perkasa and its NGO allies will come to their July 9 rally to counter Bersih “empty-handed” to prove that they are there merely to defend peace in Malaysia.

However, Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali said that he cannot guarantee that none of his members will engage in violence on that day.

“I cannot guarantee, it can be anybody (engaging in violence). If (Perkasa members do), it's their own fault.

“With so many people how will you know who started it? It might even be Bersih infiltrating into our group,” he said.

Nevertheless, Ibrahim said that Perkasa has held briefings at 10 districts and 22 parliamentary divisions where members were told to “not provoke, come empty-handed and do not bring weapons”.

Repeating his earlier “advice” to the Chinese to stay home and stock up on food, Ibrahim said he was only anticipating the worst.

“When the country is in chaos, with roads congested, how will you go to the market?” he asked, explaining also that his intention was to keep people off the streets.

He added that this is the first time Perkasa is to hit the streets without a police permit, but it is justified as it is only “reacting to Bersih, which does not have a permit in the first place”.

Ibrahim gets hot under the collar

Meanwhile, the Pasir Mas MP got hot under the collar when asked about the Bar Council's statement defending the right to assemble, saying that it is part of Malaysian founding history as Umno, too, held a demonstration against the Malayan Union.

“Bar Council is a bastard council because they are hypocrites and (practice) double-standard, supporting only anti-government elements,” he said.

Calling the council “anti-Islam”, Ibrahim added that the lawyers' organisation is always silent if Malays are being victimised.

He also had choice words for National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) chief Hasmy Agam (left), who defended Bersih's right to assemble according to the federal constitution and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“This freedoms is based on the law, it is not a blank cheque. The law must be read together, like the constitution with the Police Act,” he said.

He added that Hasmy should have responsibly advised Bersih 2.0 to take their rally indoors to avoid havoc, as views can “still be expressed at stadiums, through big screen projections, videos and memorandums”.

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not mean (sic) you can demonstrate on the roadside,” he said.

He added that Hasmy was being “simplistic” in saying that the police need to just keep the peace as even large numbers of army personnel could not control order at Tahrir Square.

Organisers also can do little to control a mob, he said, giving an example of a rally he organised.

“In the 1970s I was speaking at a masjid and someone threw stones and I was arrested under the Internal Security Act, and Hishammuddin Rais who was a Socialist Club (of Universiti Malaya) member skipped the country,” he said.

Besides Perkasa, Umno Youth is also rallying on July 9, calling their march the Patriot rally.

Bersih 2.0 will march to the palace to hand over an eight-point memorandum to the King seeking, among others, the use of indelible ink and a 21-day campaign period. - Malaysiakini