By Clara Chooi
July 06, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Despite being allowed to hold a stadium rally this Saturday, protestors found with pro-Bersih 2.0 materials will still be arrested, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said today.
This, he said, was because the coalition was still deemed an unlawful organisation and any item, whether “songkoks or T-shirts” are still disallowed.
“On clothing or items with Bersih motifs on them, as far as we are concerned, Bersih 2.0 has been gazetted as illegal so anything to do with Bersih 2.0 will be wrong, will be disallowed and we will take action,” he told a press conference at the Bukit Aman police headquarters this afternoon.
As such, Khalid warned protestors against the use of any pro-Bersih paraphernalia at the planned gathering this Saturday or in the days leading up to it.
He agreed that even if the coalition were to be granted a permit for the rally, anyone found with materials in support of the outlawed group would be hauled in.
“Yes. It is an offence. Bersih is an illegal society so we advise them not to use materials supporting it. Anything showing support of Bersih is illegal,” he said.
Police have continued with its pre-rally clampdown on Bersih 2.0 supporters despite the apparent truce between the government and the coalition.
Bersih 2.0 is made up of over 62 non-governmental organisations and is holding a rally this Saturday to push for electoral reform.
Khalid also moved to defend the police’s hard-line stance in handling Bersih 2.0 protestors, explaining that they were merely carrying out their lawful duties.
When pointed out that Umno Youth’s “Patriot” group was also an unregistered organisation and questioned why their red-shirted supporters were not similarly detained, Khalid said the question should not be posed to him.
“What we do is in accordance with the law. Like I said — Bersih has been gazetted as an illegal organisation. So we have to take action.
“Why Patriot has not been declared illegal, do not ask me. We only carry out our orders and we are enforcers of the law,” he said.
Umno Youth had initially planned to hold its own rally this Saturday but called it off following the King’s request for a truce last Sunday.
Its members have also been accused of holding a demonstration outside PKR’s headquarters in Tropicana last Monday, allege