Bersih rally ends with ‘message’ to mayor

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KOTA KINABALU: Disappointed with the mayor’s continued rejection to allow them to hold a peaceful assembly in public spaces, Bersih 4 Kota Kinabalu (B4KK) decided to hand over their dissatisfaction directly at the Kota Kinabalu City Hall grounds yesterday.

Rally participants, who initially were supposed to walk some six kilometres from the initial venue of the Bersih 4 Kota Kinabalu assembly in Likas Bay public park II to the city centre but were stopped half way by a police barricade, had regrouped at the City Hall grounds, which was already heavily guarded by police and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel as well as City Hall enforcement unit.

Bersih 4 Kota Kinabalu chairperson Jannie Lasimbang said that the group had decided to end the rally by sending “a message” to Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir at the City Hall grounds.

“It’s not a memorandum, but rather a symbolic of what I feel towards the mayor,” said Jannie, holding a creative placard with the word, ‘Corruptor’ on it.

“He had been rejecting our requests to use public spaces since Bersih 1, and again in Bersih 2, and yet again during Himpunan May Day, as well as Bersih 4. We have been asking, almost begging for him to let us use these public spaces but he never let us,” she lamented.

Participants echoed in agreement as Jannie relayed her message that it is the people’s rights to assemble peacefully in public spaces, a right, she said the mayor had deprived Kota Kinabalu citizens.

Jannie also said that under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012, the local government should gazette a public space for the public to hold peaceful assemblies.

“We have been asking, but to no avail,” said Jannie.

About 500 people rallying during the Himpunan May Day last May were made to stop their plans to occupy Padang Merdeka (town field) at the city centre, after they were denied entry on grounds set by City Hall that the space is only for government functions.

“You cannot tell us that a public space is only for government function. It is our right to assemble there when we wish to,” stressed Jannie yesterday.

The mayor was not present. However, City Hall enforcement personnel who were on guard, led by their enforcement chief, Mohd Amir Izzat, ‘represented’ the mayor.

Izzat said that they would have officially received a memorandum, but could not receive such a ‘symbolic placard’. He, however, gave his word on the organisers’ demand to have a gazetted area for peaceful assembly. He then asked Jannie to have the crowd dispersed, which they obliged.