KUCHING: State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen wondered what was the whole purpose of holding the Bersih 4 rally if one cannot call for the prime minister to step down at the rally.
“I am appalled by the statement given by Nicholas Mujah (chairman of the Kuching Bersih 4 committee) that the reason for cancelling the rally on Aug 30 is because of the concern that DAP has breached the regulations set by the police.
“The main breach mentioned by Nicholas Mujah is most ridiculous. For example, he said we attacked (Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) and called for his resignation and that we marched in large numbers from Hilton Hotel to Padang Song Kheng Hai chanting ‘Najib Turun’ (Step down, Najib).
“For this Kuching Bersih 4 rally, thousands took to the street in Kuching because most of us want Najib to step down. If we can’t even call for his resignation, then what is the whole purpose of the rally?
“If the working committee of Kuching Bersih 4 rally is so afraid of calling for the resignation of Najib, then it might as well not organise the rally,” he said in a press statement to rebute Nicholas’ comments.
Chong, who is also Bandar Kuching MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said no one could deny that Bersih 4 rally “is a political rally demanding for a better country and one way to achieve that is for Najib to step down.”
“It is not a carnival where people come to drink, make merry and party. Yesterday (Saturday), thousands sit in the hot sun to deliver this message – Najib must go.
“Therefore, it is most shocking to hear the chairman of the Bersih 4 Kuching committee giving such an excuse (because DAP has called for Najib to step down) for cancelling the rally on the second day.
“Furthermore, one of the official calls of Bersih 4 is ‘to defend the right to dissent’. Calling Najib to step down is the right to dissent of the people.”
He said one could expect the government to be jittery when the people made such calls, but for Bersih committee to be concerned and stop the rally because of such calls, the Kuching Bersih 4 committee had betrayed the intention of the Bersih 4 rally.
He pointed out that the DAP had held its ceramah at the venue on Saturday night following the permission of Peter John, the key-person in charge at around 9 pm.
“Earlier on, Peter John requested the people to come back at 8pm, promising that there will be some performance. When we came back at the said time, there was no official programme.
“We were informed that the PA system that was used in the afternoon had been removed by the contractor that was arranged by PKR. As such, the remaining programme could not continue.”
Chong said after about an hour loitering in the field, many people started to feel bored and were about to leave.
Many of them then approached DAP elected reps, requesting that since they were present and they had a small portable loud speaker, they might as well give some speeches to the public present there, he added.
“We, thus, sought the consent from the MC, Peter John, who gave consent to it. The ceremah started at about 9pm, not as alleged by Nicholas Mujah that it started at 8pm. If the MC had said ‘No’, we won’t have spoken.
“Why is Nicholas Mujah turning around now? Had he not communicated with Peter John before he issued his statement?”
Chong said the committee suddenly announced to cancel the rally at 11.30pm, and that the announcement came as a surprise to all of those present.
“Many of our supporters expressed dissatisfaction over such abrupt decision. About 100 of our out-station members/supporters from Miri and Bintulu who intended to stay overnight in the field were forced to look for hotel accommodation in the middle of the night.
He said the accusation by Nicholas Mujah that DAP caused the cancellation of the rally on Aug 30 is not true.
“The supply of the PA system was arranged by PKR. It was removed at 6pm after the afternoon speeches. Nicholas Mujah as a member of PKR should know the reason why it was removed.
“Even this morning (yesterday), Karen Sheperd and Peter John, when confronted by (DAP elected representatives) Alan Ling and Yap Hoi Liong, admitted that the program was cancelled because Kuching Bersih 4 rally committee did not have a PA system.”