Red-shirt rally a no-go

GEORGE TOWN: The planned “red shirt” rally will not be allowed to take place in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 16 due to safety concerns, said Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

Even if the rally was allowed to proceed, the police would ensure it did not disrupt the peace or cause damage to public property, he said.

The organiser, he said, must first inform the police and get permission from the premises’ owners.

“Otherwise, we will not allow the rally to proceed as it is against the law. We will ensure they do not inconvenience the public.

“We will monitor the situation and take any appropriate action later,” he told reporters after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri at the state awards ceremony here yesterday.

The planned rally, organised by a Malay-based non-governmental body, is to be held for 12 hours on Sept 16 in Bukit Bintang to “counter” the Bersih 4 rally on Aug 29 and 30.

On whether the police had received any application from the organisers, Noor Rashid said he would have to check, adding that between 1,000 and 2,000 personnel would be deployed if the rally was to go on.

On Bersih 4, he said police had opened various investigation papers under the Sedition Act and Peaceful Assembly Act, and causing damage to public property.

“We will complete our investigation by calling up those involved, including the people who have stomped on the images of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

“We will identify and call them up to record their statements,” he said.