Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(Aug 20): Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed has accused Bersih 2.0, saying the electoral watchdog’s aim in organising its upcoming rally is to “bring down the prime minister”.

Saying he will not participate in the gathering, Nur Jazlan questioned the organiser's refusal to relent and move the date of the rally in order not to disrupt preparations for the Merdeka celebrations.

"I will not take part because Bersih has not got true intentions, they just want to bring down the prime minister, and I am a member of the administration," He said.

He added that the police tolerated the organiser by suggesting other venues.

"That is why their intention is questionable. The police have already been very tolerant."

He said no other police in the world were as tolerant as the Malaysian police, and they had a responsibility to keep the peace.

"Bersih should respect the police. The police are responsible for the safety of the people. They were given the power by the government to enforce the law," he said.

Last Friday, Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah invited Nur Jazlan to join the rally following his statement two days earlier that Putrajaya had no problems with the planned gathering.

Nur Jazlan had said that he was optimistic the rally would proceed with no untoward incidents but cautioned that the organisers would have to bear full responsibility if there was any violence.

Yesterday, Maria urged Datuk Seri Najib Razak to allow the rally to proceed unhindered, and said the prime minister could gauge from the crowd size the extent of his public support.

If the rally failed to gain traction, then Najib could consider it as a public mandate for him to continue his administration, she said.

Her challenge came hours after police said they would not allow the rally to proceed as the organisers had not replied with a notice to hold the gathering.

Bersih had previously stated that participants would gather near Dataran Merdeka, and vowed not to disturb Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) Merdeka Day preparations.

Police later requested that the organisers change the rally's location, saying it was not suitable.

Yesterday evening, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa  was quoted as saying that the organisers had failed to abide by the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

He said the police were only notified of the rally on Tuesday, and the documents handed in were missing a permission form from the owner of the rally location. – The Malaysian Insider

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