Gathering allowed but not at Dataran Merdeka, says Hishammuddin

The Star 
By WONG CHUN WAI and MAZWIN NIK ANIS

PUTRAJAYA: The authorities will allow gatherings to be held as stipulated under the Peaceful Assembly Act and will not deal with them as they did previous assemblies, including Bersih 1.0 and Bersih 2.0.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein gave this assurance ahead of Bersih 3.0 this weekend. He, however, said the gathering should not be held in Dataran Merdeka because the landowner, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), would not allow it.

The Home Minister said the authorities had allowed DBKL to make the decision after determining that there would be no security issue involved.

“DBKL has received three applications to gather in Dataran Merdeka, including one from Bersih 3.0.

“I expect them to be consistent in their decision (not to allow such gatherings) but that should not stop the organisers from looking for other venues.

“It is not a security issue. So if there were to be an increase in police presence (on that day), it is only to assist those who are going to the gathering. We have made clear our stand that we allow peaceful assembly. We walk the talk.”

Bersih 3.0 was announced following the release of the final report by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms last month. The organisers of Bersih 3.0 claimed the report did not sufficiently address issues on the electoral roll.

It was reported that Bersih 3.0 organisers had received a letter signed by DBKL deputy director-general Datuk Normah Malik, informing them that Dataran Merdeka could only be used for national events.

On the new approach the authorities are taking in dealing with Bersih 3.0, Hishammuddin said the Peaceful Assembly Act was now in place to give clear guidelines on gatherings of this nature.

“I have made it clear that I want to allow them to have the assembly as long as it is peaceful and provided that we are responsible for our action. This is an approach that comes with the maturity of our democracy and the progress of a society,” he added.

Hishammuddin conceded that the authorities might have overreacted when dealing with Bersih 1.0, declaring the movement illegal and banning the wearing of yellow T-shirts.

“Yes, I think maybe we overdid it. But what happened in London (during the riots) when it was on fire? There was a lot of public outcry because of the lack of reaction from the enforcement agencies. If something went wrong during Bersih 2.0, the allegation that we were overreacting could well have been reversed.

“But we have learned from it. For Bersih 3.0, we now have the statute. It is not about power, but the Act has given me the confidence to carry out my duties wisely and responsibly, based on the law,” he said.

On the political transformation, which includes repealing the Internal Security Act, Hishammuddin said: “It has been a painful journey that required a lot of courage.”

“However, it had to be done, and now that it's done, I am relieved.

“The changing landscape, both global and national, has forced us to re-look at ourselves,” he added.

“We are moving forward and I really believe this transformation reflects not only courage, but also the realisation that we need to do it.”