Street demo cancelled, rally to be held in stadium

The street rally organiser has called off the planned demonstration on Saturday and will now hold a gathering inside a
stadium.

The decision was announced by Bersih 2.0 chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan following an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, at Istana Negara, today.

Ambiga told reporters that the rally had been called off and that the organiser had agreed to the government’s call for them to hold a gathering indoor.

They had previously been adamant on taking to the street and had even rejected the government’s call for the rally to be held indoor.

Ambiga said that they had not decided yet which stadium they would use for the gathering and that they would discuss the matter with the government.

“We had a wonderful meeting with Tuanku, and we are most grateful with that, and we have informed Tuanku that we are accepting the offer of the government to have the rally in the stadium.

“The rally in the street will not take place,” Ambiga said.

Also with Ambiga during the audience with Tuanku Mizan were National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said and Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia president Zaid Kamaruddin.

On Sunday, Tuanku Mizan issued a special statement saying demonstrations would bring more harm than good even though the original intention of doing so might be good.

– Bernama