Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who leads the electoral reforms movement, told reporters after meeting the Inspector General of Police that Bersih would go ahead and apply for a police permit and permission from the stadium’s administrators as soon as possible.
“Some of our supporters may still head to Stadium Merdeka,” she said, despite police chief Tan Sri Ismail Omar’s advice that they move outside the capital city.
“I am horrified that the federal government told us to go to a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state. Is the federal government trying to tell us that PR is better?” Ambiga added, referring the suggestion made by Barisan Nasional (BN) yesterday.
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had already offered to host the rally at the Shah Alam Stadium.
Ambiga, who was accompanied by Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat and national laureate A. Samad Said, said that they were initially rejected by Stadium Merdeka for not having a police permit in advance.
But the former Bar Council president said that Tan Sri Ismail Omar had clarified today that permission from the venue should be obtained first before a police permit was issued.
Ambiga added that Stadium Merdeka, which is served by several bus and rail routes, was the most convenient venue.
“If Stadium Merdeka turns us down, I will be very surprised as the government has already agreed. I hope these are not methods to thwart our rally,” she said.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had stepped in on Sunday to defuse tension by advising the Najib administration and Bersih 2.0 to hold consultations over the issue of free and fair elections.
Bersih then accepted
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak offer on Monday to move its street rally to a stadium.
However, Najib said yesterday that the now outlawed Bersih would still have to make an official application to the police.
The police have continued to make arrests in connection with the rally, most of which revolving around yellow T-shirts with the word Bersih emblazoned on them in a clampdown that has also seen Bersih being declared illegal.
