Police to question Azmin tomorrow for wearing Bersih t-shirt, says lawyer

Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali will give a statement at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters tomorrow for wearing the yellow Bersih 4 t-shirt. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 17, 2015.

Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali has been summoned to give his statement at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters tomorrow at 10am for wearing the yellow Bersih 4 t-shirt, his lawyer said.

His lawyer Latheefa Koya said that the PKR deputy president is also being investigated for a speech he made during the campaign period in the Permatang Pauh by-election.

"Azmin has two issues, one because of his speech during the Permatang Pauh campaign. That is one.

"And then, recently, he wore the Bersih 4 t-shirt, apparently there is also a report that he brought his child (during the demonstration) and also, his speech in front of Sogo."

Previously, PKR vice-president Tian Chua was also investigated for wearing the Bersih 4 t-shirt, which the government had declared illegal in an order made under the Printing, Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Earlier, Latheefa accompanied former Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Kapar MP G. Manivanan and Selangor Exco Elizabeth Wong, who are also being investigated for wearing the yellow Bersih t-shirts during the rally that happened on August 29 and 30.

The three were called to give their statements at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters today.

"They were questioned for wearing Bersih 4 t-shirts, as it is an offence under the law," Latheefa told reporters after the questioning, adding that they were being investigated under Section 8 of the law.

She said that police had also asked the trio's opinion about the "red shirt" rally that took place yesterday in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

"There were questions asking their opinions if they thought Bersih 4 was successful and they asked them about the 'red shirt' rally," she added.

Meanwhile, Wong said that the questions that police had posed to them did not make sense.

"Their questions did not make sense, we are only being investigated for wearing a t-shirt. But they asked about the 'red shirt' rally. This is one way for them to stifle activists, including opposition politicians," the Bukit Lanjan assemblyman said.

"The issue is not yellow or red colours but the true meaning of Bersih 4 and the issues it champions."

Ambiga said that she is now in discussions with lawyers to challenge the government's order in banning the Bersih paraphernalia, including the t-shirts.

"I will challenge for this madness to stop," the lawyer and activist said.

The order of the ban came just hours before the Bersih 4 rally was due to begin, but it did not deter tens of thousands who showed up for the 34-hour gathering around Dataran Merdeka donning the bright yellow t-shirts, which bore the words "Bersih 4".

- TMI