On 21st July, the police went public with their version of what transpired in KL on 9th July at the BERSIH 2.0 rally.
We all know what ought to be done with most of what was said by the Internal Security and Public Order chief Salleh Rashid at Bukit Aman that day.
However, something he is reported by FreeMalaysiaToday as having said caught my attention.
“One of the clips shown today depicted policemen facing protesters in the rain in front of the Puduraya bus station. Referring to the protesters, Salleh said: “We can see them gathering, even though we gave them warning.”
Salleh also pointed to a similar occurrence in front of the KL Sentral complex, saying the police “did nothing even though the demonstrators were in front”.
He said tear gas was fired only when a group led by Batu MP Tian Chua allegedly charged at the riot squad“.
5 of the BERSIH 2.0 steering committee members, myself included, were at the scene that Salleh speaks of, being the culmination of a journey through KL Sentral, after having left KL Hilton, down the escalator
leading to the level where the LCCT coaches are parked, and through
the passage by which those coaches would make their way to Jalan Tun
Sambanthan enroute to the LCCT.
Quite frankly, I was baffled by this eleventh hour planned route, after it bacame obvious that the original plan to have us taken to the Masjid Negara and to lead the crowd from there to the Stadium Merdeka became unworkable.
The plan was still to try and get to Stadium Merdeka.
It would have made more sense to turn right, having exited from the hotel, and take the wide open road that led straight onto Jalan Tun Sambanthan and then straight to Stadium Merdeka.
Instead, we were directed into KL Sentral, after the police cordon blocking the entrance had been pushed aside.
Twice, a lawyer present came and warned me that the FRU was already waiting for us.
Once, inside the KL Sentral, and the second, after we had gone down the escalator to where the LCCT coaches were, and were already on the road usually taken by those coaches to exit the KL Sentral complex.
I received this video clip from an eye witness who was present at the point where our group came face to face with the FRU.
You will see from the 49th/50th second into the video clip that what Salleh said is true.
Some of the frontliners appear to have charged out before the tear gas was fired.
From the video clip, you will not hear anyone giving the order to charge the FRU.
However, I have heard from 3 independent sources, all present at the scene in question and two of whom I have too much respect for to disbelieve, that Tian Chua did in fact give the order to charge that led to those frontliners breaking rank and charging the FRU.
We were supposed to rally peacefully.
We were not supposed to be the aggressors.
The MP of Batu owes us all an explanation.
Can we hear from you on this, please, YB?
We all know what ought to be done with most of what was said by the Internal Security and Public Order chief Salleh Rashid at Bukit Aman that day.
However, something he is reported by FreeMalaysiaToday as having said caught my attention.
“One of the clips shown today depicted policemen facing protesters in the rain in front of the Puduraya bus station. Referring to the protesters, Salleh said: “We can see them gathering, even though we gave them warning.”
Salleh also pointed to a similar occurrence in front of the KL Sentral complex, saying the police “did nothing even though the demonstrators were in front”.
He said tear gas was fired only when a group led by Batu MP Tian Chua allegedly charged at the riot squad“.
5 of the BERSIH 2.0 steering committee members, myself included, were at the scene that Salleh speaks of, being the culmination of a journey through KL Sentral, after having left KL Hilton, down the escalator
Down the escalator to the level where the LCCT coaches are parked. Photo credited to Malaysiakini
Quite frankly, I was baffled by this eleventh hour planned route, after it bacame obvious that the original plan to have us taken to the Masjid Negara and to lead the crowd from there to the Stadium Merdeka became unworkable.
The plan was still to try and get to Stadium Merdeka.
It would have made more sense to turn right, having exited from the hotel, and take the wide open road that led straight onto Jalan Tun Sambanthan and then straight to Stadium Merdeka.
Instead, we were directed into KL Sentral, after the police cordon blocking the entrance had been pushed aside.
Twice, a lawyer present came and warned me that the FRU was already waiting for us.
Once, inside the KL Sentral, and the second, after we had gone down the escalator to where the LCCT coaches were, and were already on the road usually taken by those coaches to exit the KL Sentral complex.
I received this video clip from an eye witness who was present at the point where our group came face to face with the FRU.
You will see from the 49th/50th second into the video clip that what Salleh said is true.
Some of the frontliners appear to have charged out before the tear gas was fired.
From the video clip, you will not hear anyone giving the order to charge the FRU.
However, I have heard from 3 independent sources, all present at the scene in question and two of whom I have too much respect for to disbelieve, that Tian Chua did in fact give the order to charge that led to those frontliners breaking rank and charging the FRU.
We were supposed to rally peacefully.
We were not supposed to be the aggressors.
The MP of Batu owes us all an explanation.
Can we hear from you on this, please, YB?
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