By Athi Shankar
June 18, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today
GEORGE TOWN: The planned Umno Youth and Perkasa rallies are meant to foil, frustrate and disrupt the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9, said DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today.
He called on the police to strictly ensure that all rallies were held in a orderly way without any untoward incidents.
The veteran politician hoped that participants of the three proposed rallies would be separated and prevented from abusing each other.
He said the police should be on high alert especially when a person like Perkasa leader Ibrahim Ali, who couldn’t possibly control and check his senses, was around.
“He is capable of doing anything to disrupt the Bersih rally,” the two-term Bukit Gelugor MP told a press conference during his constituency visit.
He argued that Umno Youth and Perkasa could have easily organised their rallies on another day if their intention was genuine.
“But they are obviously organising rallies on the same day and same venue to counter and frustrate the Bersih rally. It’s a deliberate attempt to foil Bersih,” he said.
The rallies would be held in the city centre.
Bersih 2.0 is a coalition of 62 NGOs, promoting democracy and free and fair elections.
Perkasa and 30 Malay-based NGOs had announced their plan to organise a similar rally to oppose the Bersih rally. Umno Youth had also decided to hold a gathering on the same day.
The movement plans to hand over a memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to support the democracy system and the role and reforms carried out by the Election Commission (EC).
So far police had not issued permits for any of the rallies.
Police had already warned of strong action, including using preventive laws, against those participating in illegal rallies.
Call to use ISA ‘misplaced’
Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan said she would be writing to the Kuala Lumpur police chief on how rally organisers and police could work together to hold a peaceful rally.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Council of Ex-Elected Representatives (Mubarak) called on the police to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the Bersih 2.0 rally organisers.
Karpal, a former ISA detainee, said the threat to use preventive laws against Bersih rally participants “was misplaced.”
He recalled that the last Bersih rally in 2007 had set a precedent where the Putrajaya administration had allowed a similar rally.
He suggested that Barisan Nasional could be afraid of the Bersih 2.0 that like the 2007 rally, it would inspire another political uproar against the ruling coalition.
He said that leaders, members and supporters of Pakatan Rakyat, comprising PKR, DAP and PAS, would turn out in full force to support the Bersih 2.0 rally.
#1 by drngsc on Saturday, 18 June 2011 - 7:05 pm
This is a tough call. It calls for good leadership. Obviously BERSIH 2.0 cannoy marh with Perkasa, because their vowed aim is to fight BERSIH 2.0. That IA guy is a clown, following the instruction of his puppet master. Unpredictable, and crazy, are kind terms to describe him. He is a clown.
As for UMNO youth and KJ, perhaps, it would help if BERSIH committee can talk to UMNO Youth committee to see if they can join forces, if their aim is for a clean, free and fair election. If our aims are the same, no harm marching with them. We are apolitical remember? It shows our maturity and our intention to work towards a better Malaysia.
This is a tough call. Glad it is not my call.
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya.
#2 by Winston on Saturday, 18 June 2011 - 8:33 pm
Although one may be crazier than the other, they’re both on the same side.
And their primary purpose is the disruption of the Bersih rally.
It would be a waste of breath to communicate with either of them.
If they have any cow sense, they would not have organised rival rallies!
Maybe they have orders to do so!
#3 by bruno on Sunday, 19 June 2011 - 2:33 am
Umno knows that a Bersih crowd of a hundred thousand upwards and BN is in trouble.The name Bersih means clean(to BN it means clean house) and the last time Umno heard this name it almost went to the cleaners.My gut feeling is telling me that Umno knows that it’s lifeline is hanging on a string.They will be going all out to disrupt and create havoc.They will not be going out without giving a good under the belt punch.They will be at their dirtiest,because Umno knows that this Bersih rally will be a big crowd.How big a crowd nobody knows.Only on July 9.2011 will we know.They will do whatever it takes to have the rally cancelled.Watch the last few days leading up to July 9.