Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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(Sept 9): Police will summon organisers of the gathering, dubbed the "red shirt" rally, for a meeting, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today, while insisting that the force will not allow the September 16 demonstration to go on.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) said that he has ordered the Kuala Lumpur police chief to hold a meeting with the organisers to dissuade them from holding the rally on the streets of the city.

"I have ordered the KL police to call up the organisers. We ask them to think of a more appropriate place to hold the rally," he told reporters in Penang today.

"The police have made evaluations on the safety and security as well as public order and we will not allow them to continue with the rally in the areas planned."

The 'red-shirt' rally or “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” is said to be held by Malay rights group to counter the recent Bersih 4 rally, which had called for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation over alleged financial scandals.

Supporters plan to gather in Jalan Bukit Bintang for 12 hours, from noon of September 16, on Malaysia Day.

The gathering is also being held to express anger over footage of Bersih 4 participants stomping on pictures of Najib and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Khalid, who said he respected the rights to assemble as guaranteed in the Federal Constitution, noted that, however, issues of security and public order had to be taken into account.

"We have to think about the well-being of the people, the businesses that will be affected and other aspects.

"So police is firm in not allowing this 'red shirt' rally to go on in the streets of Kuala Lumpur," he said, adding that organisers of the Bersih 4 rally should also heed such advice for future assemblies.

"We hope, in future, organisers of such assemblies will be more rational and think about this when they plan," he added.

Last week, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa also said that strict action would be taken under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 if the organiser decided to proceed with the rally. – The Malaysian Insider

 

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