Police thwart Bersih’s first roadshow
SHAH ALAM, June 25 — A Bersih 2.0 roadshow was cancelled last night after police mounted roadblocks here and arrested PKR Youth deputy chief Khairul Annuar at the electoral reform gathering here.
Khairul, who wore a yellow Bersih T-shirt, was handcuffed when he approached an empty stage at Uptown in Section 24 here that was barricaded with police tape.
Former Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud, who was the scheduled speaker at the event, did not turn up while no one else could be seen wearing Bersih T-shirts.
Several businessmen at the Uptown market told The Malaysian Insider that their customers were not allowed in by police at the roadblock, which was located at the turn-off leading to Section 24.
“The businessmen are unhappy. We should have been operating since 8pm, but no one is coming in,” said Firdaus Zakaria last night, who sells men’s wallets, bags and belts.
“There are usually a lot of customers on Friday and Saturday nights,” added the 28-year-old businessman, as other stall owners echoed his remarks.
Acting Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Amar Singh Ishar Singh said earlier yesterday that authorities were planning to derail the July 9 Bersih rally and its two counter-protests scheduled for the same day.
Election watchdog Bersih 2.0 is planning a massive rally on the day in Kuala Lumpur to push for electoral reforms, with PAS aiming to galvanise all one million of its members to take part in the assembly.
Umno Youth and right-wing group Perkasa have also promised to carry out separate rallies to rival Bersih’s.
