Ambiga: We can’t control what politicians say
The rally was to feature only speeches from Ambiga, co-chairman A Samad Said and songs, says Bersih.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Election watchdog Bersih 3.0 has no control over what politicians say at its public events, its co-chairman S Ambiga said.
“We did not know that they [opposition] leaders were going to speak. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim came up and spoke to the crowd. There were groups in the crowd which wanted to hear the opposition leaders speak.
“I cannot control what they say,” she said amidst reports that opposition leaders had incited the crowd to breach the barriers at Dataran Merdeka during the Bersih 3.0 rally yesterday.
She added that the plan for the gathering did not allow for politicians to speak.
In fact, she said that had Bersih known that politicians were going to deliver speeches, it would not allow them to do so.
“We wouldn’t have allowed them to speak,” she told a press conference today.
Yesterday, the peaceful assembly of about 80,000 people turned violent at about round 3pm when a few protesters broke through the barriers at Dataran Merdeka, which was sealed off.
The “attack” on the barricades prompted the police to fire tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
The clash between the police and the protesters lasted for about four hours.
No political speeches
There were many news reports which singled out PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and Anwar for inciting the crowd to breach the barrier.
Azmin reportedly told the crowd to reclaim Dataran which “did not belong to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)”.
Bersih steering committee member, Maria Chin Abdullah, who also present, said the event was to feature only speeches from Ambiga, co-chairman A Samad Said and songs.
“Before April 28, all the NGOs agreed to exclude any political speeches by political leaders… that was also agreed upon by the political parties,” she said.
Ambiga said that she could not comment on Azmin’s actions as she did not witness it in person and asked for it to be investigated.
“But Anwar [when he was on the truck with Ambiga] did not order the crowd to charge,” she said.
She added that Bersih had the last word, and which was to ask the crowd to disperse.
“Let me tell you what happened: I was on the truck and we told the crowd to disperse. We were moving into Jalan Tun Perak to tell the crowd to disperse in stages.
“Then someone charged [at the barriers]; it had nothing to do with us; we want to know as well.
“In fact, it is against what Bersih had announced,” she added.
