Military is the last line of defence should Bersih 4 goes out of hand, says Hishammuddin
(The Rakyat Post) – Military will intervene, only if the proposed Bersih 4.0 scheduled to run over the weekend goes out of hand.
“The military is the last line of defence. It’s our responsibility and our job to ensure the situation does not get worse,” said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein after launching the collaborative effort between Media Prima Bhd and the Malaysian Armed Forces to repair homes affected by the deadly June 5 quake here today.
“But (as the former Home Minister) after being involved in the Bersih 1, 2 and 3, we basically know what will happen, and I have confidence that the police will be able to handle it,” he added.
He was responding to Malaysian Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin’s statement that the military will intervene in the Bersih 4 rally if the government declares a state of emergency.
Hishammuddin said the Armed Forces will only act if the situation is categorised as a threat to public order.
Zulkifeli was quoted by The Star Online as saying that for now, the military will not be deployed for the planned rally on Aug 29 and 30 but he pointed out that they were trained to deal with rallies that get out of hand.
Meanwhile, Hishammuddin also called on the people to abide by the rules and to refrain from complicating things.
“There are a lot of lies being spread via the social media, and it is not helping.
“The same happened in Lahad Datu (referring to the Sulu Sultan’s militants intrusion in 2013), where a lot of stories went around, and 99% were untrue.
“I believe the people are law abiding citizens, but whatever it is, we are ready to face any possibilities,” he said.
The Bersih 4.0 peaceful rally will be conducted simultaneously across the nation, where all, except for Kuching, Sarawak, were not given the green light.
In Sabah, the 24-hour democracy fest, which is scheduled to begin at 2pm, will be staged at Teluk Likas 2 public park, located along the Tanjung Lipat stretch.
