Cops keep order by giving Bersih marchers leeway

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bersih protest against the tabling of the redelineation report went on after police, choosing to keep the peace rather than be iron-fisted, allowed them to walk part of the way to Parliament.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Shaharuddin Abdullah said the electoral reform group’s supporters, who gathered outside Tugu Negara here from 7am yesterday, walked around the police line along the road to Parliament.

“We warned them that we would arrest them if they marched, but we chose not to do anything drastic as we wanted to keep the peace.

“However, we managed to reposition quickly and form a second line (further up the road) and stopped them there,” he said after the protest, which ended without incident at about 12.15pm.

ACP Shaharuddin said police would investigate the gathering under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and would call in the relevant people for questioning.

Earlier, there was a heavy police presence as the crowd started to gather.

Vehicles were prevented from entering Tugu Negara as early as 7.40am, after which the organisers told protesters to park their vehicles at Padang Merbok.

The protesters waited outside Tugu Negara, listening to speeches by activists and opposition leaders, including Pakatan Harapan president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu.

“This is our right to vote and this is our future. We are the voters and we must do something,” Dr Wan Azizah said.

At the same time, activist Hishamuddin Rais also led a chant of “Reformasi” (reform).

Former Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who was also present, told the protesters that voters should hold the Election Commission accountable over the redelineation report.

“We must make our voices heard. We must tell them that we don’t accept the report,” she said.

Eight representatives, including another former Bersih 2.0 chairman, Maria Chin Abdullah, were allowed to walk up to the Parliament gate to deliver a memorandum to a representative from the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s office.

The crowd dispersed peacefully shortly after that.

However, the noonday heat got the better of one supporter, who fainted as the crowd was leaving.

He was treated by paramedics and taken to a nearby hospital in an ambulance.

Another Bersih protest is planned for April 14 in the city centre.