Traders fear bloodshed at Bersih 4
(Malay Mail Online) – Traders have expressed fears of bloody clashes at the upcoming Bersih 4 rally here this afternoon as the authorities appear to be preparing for a crackdown.
An elderly man, who sells tissue in front of Dataran Merdeka, said the capital city was “too eerie” this morning despite the blaring noise of the Merdeka Day celebration rehearsals.
“There will be trouble, something will definitely happen,” the man, who only wanted to be known as Khaled, told Malay Mail Online. “There is going to be bloodshed.”
There were also talks of trouble among a nasi lemak vendor and customers outside the Masjid Jamek LRT Station, with the trader saying that the police had chased away early this morning a few people who were waving a Malaysian flag and dressed in yellow, the official colour of rally organisers Bersih 2.0.
“Imagine later today, surely it will be worse,” the nasi lemak vendor, who declined to be named, told Malay Mail Online.
Just as she completed her sentence, two police cars sped through, heading towards Jalan Raja Laut with blaring sirens.
The government has also instructed the media to register later this morning to get special vests for coverage of the Bersih 4 rally. The Home Ministry said that 4,000 police officers will be deployed for the demonstration.
Security guard Muhammad Akmal, 70, said that judging by how the authorities acted at the last Bersih rally in 2012 that was marred by a police crackdown, there might be a bigger tussle between the police and demonstrators at Bersih 4 later.
“This time will surely be more bloody. You can expect a lot more clashes from both sides,” Akmal told Malay Mail Online.
“Since a lot of orders like banning yellow shirts were given this week, the people are fuming. They will take to the streets in numbers and the police will not like it,” he said, adding that he has attended all previous Bersih rallies by the polls reform group.
The Home Ministry banned yesterday yellow Bersih 4 shirts and printed materials on the mass rallies that is scheduled this afternoon the city centre, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Kuching in Sarawak, even as Bersih 2.0 has already sold thousands of Bersih 4 tees.
Akmal told Malay Mail Online that the building where he works at here will be locked down during the Bersih 4 rally later and that his superiors have prohibited him from giving shelter to anyone.
“My boss has already warned us. I can’t go out, even if people come begging for help,” said the security guard.
A 24-hour restaurant owner here contemplated cutting short his operating hours should things get out of hand after the rally kicks off at 2pm.
“I am worried. If there is a riot, we will close. We cannot afford to lose or damage our rice bowl because of one day,” he said, refusing to be named.
Retiree William Leong said he came down from Penang for the overnight Bersih 4 rally here, despite his family’s objections.
“I do not want to leave this earthly world without doing anything for my country. My family told me not to come, it would be too dangerous but I don’t care,” Leong, who used to work at the Penang Port, told Malay Mail Online.
“I am here because I love my country. Even if it is pointless rallying here in KL, I together with the people just want to show dissatisfied we are with the way things are being run,” he added.
The retiree also said he would wear his yellow T-shirt despite the government ban on Bersih 4 shirts.
“If they arrest me, I won’t resist,” he said.
Other than calling for fair elections, the 34-hour Bersih 4 rally also demands for institutional reforms and the resignation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over his handling of controversial state fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
