Seven Bersih members called in for questioning

KUALA LUMPUR — Following massive anti-government protests held on the weekend, Malaysian police have summoned seven individuals from rally organiser Bersih 2.0 for questioning today.

Bersih 2.0 secretariat member Mandeep Singh Karpall confirmed that seven of them have been summoned to aid in a police probe on the weekend rally. “Tomorrow (today) 10.30am at Bukit Aman,” he said yesterday, confirming that they have agreed to show up voluntarily.

Bersih 2.0, an electoral reform group, said the seven will be probed under Section 124C of the Penal Code, which deals with attempts to commit an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy. If convicted, they face a maximum jail term of 15 years.

Mr Mandeep along with six others — Bersih 2.0 chair Maria Chin Abdullah; deputy chair Sarajun Hoda Abdul Hassan; treasurer Masjaliza Hamzah; national representative Fadiah Nadwa Fikri; and members Farhana Abdul Halim and Adam Adli Abd Halim — will be questioned. They will also be investigated for unlawful assembly and concealing of an intention to commit an offence.

When contacted, Kuala Lumpur police chief Tajuddin Md Isa confirmed the police probe. Asked further if the seven will be held for questioning, Mr Tajuddin said it would depend on whether it is required for the investigation, adding: “We have not decided yet.”

The two-day Bersih 4 rally in Kuala Lumpur kicked off on Saturday afternoon and ended peacefully early on Monday morning. Similar rallies were held in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and several other cities worldwide.

Bersih chair Ms Maria said on Monday that the fight will go on until Putrajaya institutes key democratic reforms, adding that she does not fear being arrested and Bersih 2.0 has a team of lawyers on standby.

No arrests were made during the rally in Kuala Lumpur, except for four individuals who had allegedly attempted to throw firecrackers at rally participants and a man who had engaged in an obscene act and failed to produce his identity card.

Meanwhile, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Rahman Dahlan said the cost of cleaning up after the rally in Kuala Lumpur amounted to RM65,000 (S$21,900). Mr Rahman said the amount did not include the cost of damage to public property. “That (the cost of damage) will be left for Kuala Lumpur City Hall to collect from the organisers,” he told reporters yesterday.

The Bersih 4 two-day rally that the police declared illegal was organised by the electoral reform group Bersih 2.0, which said it was fighting for clean and fair elections, a clean government, measures to save the economy, and the resignation of Prime Minister Najib Razak over financial scandals linked to state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad and opaque political donations from the Middle East before the 2013 general elections. AGENCIES