Bersih 4: ‘Red shirts’ make U-turn, Saturday rally called off

KUALA LUMPUR: The anti-Bersih red shirt group has decided to postpone its protest on Saturday (Aug 29).

The group's spokesman Datuk Jamal Yunus (pic) said his statement had been taken on Thursday evening at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.

A meeting was held with the City police chief and Dang Wangi OCPD.

"We were briefed on how the police planned to handle the Bersih 4 rally.

"They also advised us not to have our rally on the same day and we will listen to their advice," Jamal told reporters at the Dang Wangi police headquarters here.

He said the group would hold a rally to voice its dissatisfaction over Bersih 4 in one or two weeks’ time.

"We will follow the law and have our rally at a suitable venue.

"We may hold the rally at a stadium," he said, although the group had earlier made logistic arrangements for the event on Aug 29, including renting buses to ferry participants.

Jamal also said reports of their supporters being advised to carry parang and other weapons were sensationalised.

"We did not advise anyone to carry weapons, we merely wanted to demonstrate silat techniques.

"We are being investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act for holding that demonstration and I will take full responsibility for it," he said.

It was earlier reported that despite police warning, the anti-Bersih red shirt group would carry on with their counter gathering this weekend.

Jamal had told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the group was only prepared to call off its gathering if Bersih 4 rally organisers do the same.

He also claimed that his group, consisting of 30,000 members from more than 280 NGOs, many of whom are silat practitioners, would proceed with their planned counter rally.

They had planned to gather at Low Yat Plaza on Saturday, starting from 2am, and will march to Dataran Merdeka via Jalan Pudu at 10am.