IGP: Bersih must follow rules

Police give conditional green light for rally

Bersih 2.0 will be allowed to organise its fifth rally as long as the group adheres to the stipulations under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police would have no problem assisting the group on matters of security.

“All they need to do is abide by the rules of the PAA and we will gladly support them,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent’s Hari Raya open house yesterday.

Bersih 2.0 confirmed on Tuesday that it would hold a Bersih 5 rally to protest the issues affecting 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

However, Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah said that no date had been fixed.

“We need to do awareness at the present moment. At ground level, the impact of 1MDB is not fully understood.

“We need to raise awareness so people will be able to understand that this cannot go on,” she told a press conference yesterday.

She said Bersih strongly felt there was a need to build a united Malaysia by gathering more diverse groups and stakeholders for the rally.

“Bersih 2.0, together with non-governmental organisations and concerned citizens, has initiated various weekly actions to protest against the 1MDB scandal.

“This includes a planned #TangkapMalaysianOfficial1 youth protest on Aug 27,” she said.

On July 25, Khalid was reported to have said that Berish 2.0 would not be allowed to take to the streets if the demand was for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to step down.

The US Justice Department has moved recently to seize US$1bil (RM4.06bil) worth of assets allegedly linked to 1MDB.