KUALA LUMPUR: The Bersih rally scheduled for tomorrow will proceed as planned, according to the chairman of the electoral watchdog group.
Faisal Abdul Aziz said the the police have been assured that safety measures will be in place at the event.
“The police wanted us to provide an assurance that there will be no security threats, traffic issues or provocations (by the participants),” he said after submitting a notice on Bersih’s intention to proceed with the rally to the Dang Wangi district police this afternoon.
“It was a positive discussion. We have assured them that we will make sure the rally runs smoothly,” he added when met outside the Dang Wangi police headquarters.
Faisal was accompanied by Bersih senior manager Asraf Sharafi Azhar at the meeting that lasted for over an hour.
Bersih plans to hold the rally in front of the Parliament building to put pressure on the government to introduce political reforms.
In a post on X, Bersih called on members of the public to gather at Plaza Tugu Negara at 8am tomorrow before marching to Parliament to hand over a memorandum stating its demands.
In previous posts, Bersih highlighted several reforms it had sought, including a limit to the prime minister’s term and the abolition of the Sedition Act.
Earlier this month, Bersih said it would not hesitate to organise street protests again if the government did not commit to its institutional and political reform agenda.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur police chief Allaudeen Abdul Majid said no notice had been filed to inform the authorities about the demonstration in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA).
In a response today, lawyer group Lawyers for Liberty cited a landmark decision by the Court of Appeal in 2014 that ruled Section 9(5) of the PAA, which criminalises an organiser’s failure to give 10-day notice before a gathering, as null and void.
Meanwhile, Project Stability and Accountability for Malaysia (Projek Sama) urged Parliament’s officers to welcome all the Bersih participants who plan to march and gather at Parliament’s gates tomorrow.
In a statement today, the reform group said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul, who had joined previous Bersih rallies as a member of the then opposition, and the new Dewan Negara president Mutang Tagal, should take this opportunity to show that Malaysia is a “politically mature society” that welcomes citizens who want to submit their petitions.
“A warm welcome by Parliament and professional facilitation by the police tomorrow will demonstrate that Malaysia is a liberal democracy under the Malaysia Madani ideal championed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a former participant of Bersih rallies,” said Projek Sama. - FMT
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