‘Hold rally elsewhere’
> Dataran Merdeka booked for another event, cops tell Red Shirts
PETALING JAYA: The Red Shirts have been told by police to hold their rally elsewhere instead of Dataran Merdeka this Saturday as an event is already scheduled to be held there.
Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zainol Samah said Red Shirts leader Datuk Jamal Yunos had submitted an application to hold the rally but the application was incomplete as they had not received approval from the landowner.
“If they don’t get approval from the landowner, how are they going to hold the rally? There is an event to be held there this Saturday,” he told theSun.
He said it was not up to the police where the rally would be held, as long as they (Red Shirts) get the approval in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
“We can only advise them, and we have suggested two other venues as possible replacements – Padang Merbok or Sultan Sulaiman field – but they have not come back to us,” he said.
Jamal had announced that the Red Shirts will hold a large-scale assembly at Dataran Merdeka this Saturday in response to the Bersih 5.0 event set to take place on Nov 19.
Jamal had said he was expecting 300,000 participants comprising Malays, Chinese and Indians to attend the rally to protest the Bersih gathering.
Meanwhile, Bersih 2.0 said it was not worried that the authorities would not grant the organisation permission to use Dataran Merdeka on Nov 19.
Its steering committee member, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, said the electoral watchdog had already submitted the 10-day notice required under the Peaceful Assembly Act to the authorities.
“It is important to remind everyone that the requirement under the Act is a notification and not a permit or permission from the authorities for any intended gathering. The part of seeking permission or approval has been abolished as it is in violation of the rights for peaceful assembly, hence, we only need to notify the authorities, and it is their duty to facilitate the assembly to ensure it is trouble-free,” Fadiah said during a press conference at the group’s office yesterday.