Bersih leader summoned over flash mob

Bersih steering committee member Andrew Ambrose was summoned to the Penampang police station in Sabah today over a flash mob aimed at creating awareness about phantom voters.

Ambrose is being investigated under the Section 9(1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 for not providing prior notification of a gathering.

"The police officers have been pestering me to come in for an investigation on the flash mob and I decided to go to the district police headquarters today.

"I am the only one summoned for investigations regarding this matter," he said when contacted byMalaysiakini.

Ambrose (left) said he was questioned for an hour from 11am and refused to answer most of the questions, except to provide his name, contact number and address.

"It didn't seem right. I told the police that I would not answer any of those questions, (I) would answer them in the court," he said.

The flash mob, held on Nov 1 in conjunction with Halloween Day at Megalong Mall in Penampang, near Kota Kinabalu, involved only eight people but was held under the watchful eyes of some 20 police officers, Ambrose said.

He said participants in the flash mob, put on costumes of phantom voters while he sported a Bersih T-shirt and cap.

Describing the investigation as "shocking", Ambrose condemned it as a form of intimidation.

"This is harassment of human rights defenders," he said.