Shepherd giving her speech at the Kuching Bersih 4 rally at Song Kheng Hai rugby field on Saturday. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi
KUCHING: The organisers of the Kuching Bersih 4 rally have given their statements to the police over two police reports that were lodged against them.
One report was on the alleged parade from Hilton Hotel to the rally venue and the other for showing video in public without permit on the first day of the rally.
Kuching Bersih 4 spokesperson Karen Shepherd told reporters after giving her statement at the police One-stop Centre in Simpang Tiga yesterday that the police were just following normal procedures.
“I do not think this kind of event should end with someone getting arrested as it would only reinforce the message that we (organisers) are a mob, which is not the case as the whole event ended well, without any hint of violence.”
Besides her (Shepherd), police also recorded statements from her husband, Kuching Bersih 4 rally’s master-of-ceremony Peter John Jaban, and organising chairman Nicholas Mujah.
It is learnt that Mujah was still at the One-stop Centre giving his statements to four investigating officers when the press conference was held at 6pm yesterday.
Shepherd said police might call in more people to record their statements in the coming days.
“The police were very civilised when our statements were taken,” said Shepherd, adding that the organisers fully understood the police’s misgivings when children were present at the rally’s venue.
On another note, she said the Kuching Bersih 4 organisers firmly stood by their decision to end the rally at noon on Sunday, as opposed to the scheduled cut-off time at 11.50pm on the same day.
The organisers, she added, were apologetic to anyone burdened by the abrupt end of the planned 34-hour rally.
Among the given reasons by the organisers on Sunday was the presence of children at the venue and some quarters who were believed to have contravened the Peaceful Assembly Act.
“Above all else, we (organisers) have to put the participants’ safety as our main priority,” said Shepherd, adding that the rally had radiated an atmosphere of togetherness the Sarawakian way.
She said the Kuching Bersih 4 rally should be a platform for ordinary folk to speak and express their opinions.
“Let Bersih be the platform for the people to speak and for politicians to listen. It should not be the other way around.”
She rubbished a recent statement being circulated that the Kuching Bersih 4 organisers had a rift with the DAP.
She said the statement, which quoted Mujah, was very illogical in nature as why would Mujah, being the rally’s organising chairman, be willing to put himself in a bad light.