All DAP representatives to assemble in Kuching on July 9

SIBU: All the 12 assemblypersons from DAP will assemble in Kuching on July 9 to lend support to Bersih 2.0 rally which calls for fair and free elections.

The party’s state chairman Wong Ho Leng said they would make sure their activities were lawful and would not give the police any reason to arrest them.

“We will wear yellow as a show of solidarity and support to the Bersih 2.0 rally and we will conduct our activities in the most lawful way,” he said at a press conference held yesterday morning.

Wong, however, stopped short of disclosing how they would lend their support to the rally and where they would converge, saying all these were for security’s sake.

Sibu police chief ACP Shafie Ismail, who recently mentioned that the police had received information the rally would take place at four places in the state, including Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, warned the public to stay away from the illegal rally, saying stern action would be taken against the participants.

Shafie had also advised the people not to wear yellow shirts on that day as they might be subjected to scrutiny.

Nevertheless, Wong said they were prepared to face the consequences should any of the one-dozen DAP assemblymen and assemblywomen face arrests.

“We know that the police could be engineering 101 reasons to detain us but we will make sure that our activities are lawful and will not give the police any grounds to arrest us,” he said.

Asked whether police have the rights to detain anybody wearing anything yellow, Wong said there was no law to stop the people from wearing yellow shirts.

Wong said the political climate now was such that everything, even the grass and woods, had become foes to the ruling BN government.

On whether DAP supporters would join them, Wong refused to disclose, saying the people would only come to know the outcome on July 9.

Wong also mentioned they would not be taking part in the July 9 rally planned in Kuala Lumpur.

On the rally, Wong said it was not aimed at toppling the BN government.

“The aim of Bersih 2.0 is not to topple the government but if the BN government falls, it is because the people had awoken and therefore to say that Bersih aims to topple the government is untrue.”

Bersih, according to Wong, does not play politics but is merely fighting for free and fair election.

“Indeed, if the recent state election was free and fair, without the rampant votes buying, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition would have won more seats.”

On talks that Sarawak BN also planned to come up with a rally in response to the Bersih 2.0 rally, Wong described such action as childish.

“A rally is staged with purpose but when a rally is staged to protest against a clean and fair election then there must be something wrong with the mentality of the BN supporters.”

He welcomed BN to come up with a rally but it must be a legitimate one.

“Yes, they are welcomed to do it but to do it with a legitimate purpose, not illegitimate purposes. What the BN does now is to respond to the Bersih 2.0 rally for the sake of responding. This type of mentality is childish and it shows that the BN leaders had lost their sense of direction.”