(Sept 1): Police have called up seven members of the Bersih steering committee and secretariat over last weekend’s 34-hour rally, which Putrajaya had earlier said was illegal.

Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Mandeep Singh said he and six others had been told to go to the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman tomorrow where they would be investigated for concealing design to commit offence, attempt to commit activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy and unlawful assembly, charges under Sections 120, 124C and 141 of the Penal Code.

“We were called up and told this morning at 10.30am. We have five lawyers who will accompany us tomorrow,” he said.

Apart from Mandeep, the others are Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah, Sarajun Hoda Abdul Hassan, Masjaliza Hamzah, Farhana Abdul Halim, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and Adam Adli Abdul Halim.

This police directive comes after Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi warned that although there had been no arrests prior to the Bersih 4 rally, they could still take action against its organisers after the event under the Peaceful Assembly Act and other regulations.

He said police would monitor the rally leaders as well as all speeches made during event which was held simultaneously in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

Bersih 4, organised by Bersih 2.0, demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the right to dissent, and the strengthening of parliamentary democracy.

The police were earlier lauded for exercising restraint and for not disrupting the 34-hour rally in Kuala Lumpur.

A day before the rally, Putrajaya moved to ban the use of yellow with the words Bersih 4 in whatever form. – The Malaysian Insider