'Don't give us the run-around, again'

The Bersih 2.0 coalition hopes that the authorities will not give it the run-around, as it did during the run-up to the mass rally it held on July 9 last year.

Its leader Ambiga Sreenevasan said this was because the coalition views cautiously the apparent go-ahead given by two cabinet ministers and their advice to seek permission to use Dataran Merdeka for as the Bersih 3.0 rally venue on April 28.

“I hope this is not a replay of what happened last year when we were given the run-around,” said Ambiga when contacted.

Yesterday, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein suggested that a “more suitable venue” be chosen.

De facto Law Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz said the rally could proceed, but called on the organisers to seek permission from the owners Dataran Merdeka’.

Dataran Merdeka is managed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Bersih to notify DBKL

Ambiga said that since the federal government had given the green light for the rally, it was thus a mere formality to ask DBKL for permission.

She added that the Bersih steering committee would notify DBKL soon about the rally.

In July last year, the federal government had urged Bersih 2.0 to hold the rally in a stadium but not only refused to offer any stadium for the purpose and instead backtracked and urged the coalition to rally outside Kuala Lumpur.

Bersih was adamant that it would hold the rally at Stadium Merdeka, but when the venue was sealed off, about 15,000 of its supporters flooded the streets instead.

Subsequently, 1,667 protesters, including 16 children, were arrested for “disturbing the peace” and taking part in an “illegal gathering”.

The coming April 28 protest - the third by Bersih - was decided after the coalition found that the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform had failed to act on key problems raised, including a complete overhaul of the election system.

The PSC was formed as the government's reaction to the Bersih 2.0 rally last year.