Ahmad Awang (front centre) and Murnie (right) with two other Bersih Sarawak members holding the poster on Bersih’s coming convoy.
KUCHING: Bersih Sarawak will hold a convoy simultaneously with the nationwide Bersih convoy on Oct 1 with the flagging-off in Miri.
The convoy is expected to reach Sri Aman on Oct 22, from where it will proceed to Lachau, Simunjan, Balai Ringin, Gedong, Serian, Siburan, Kota Samarahan, Kota Padawan, Petra Jaya, Matang, Demak Laut, Kota Sentosa, finally reaching Tabuan in Kuching on Nov 19.
Yesterday, Bersih Sarawak comprising various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by its representatives Ahmad Awang Ali, Sean Ho and Geoffrey Tang met with police officers at the Police Headquarters at Jalan Badruddin to submit a letter on the tentative route.
Ahmad later told the media that the various NGOs in the state participating in the convoy would hold programmes centred around education, voter registration and forums in line with Bersih’s demands.
He also said the Bersih group in the state would hold programmes to engage with the sub-urban and rural populace in addressing local issues and demands related to parliamentary democracy and fair and free election.
“We are expecting about 5,000 people and we are also inviting the opposition parties,” he said.
However, he said the opposition parties had not responded to the invitation.
Meanwhile, he said Bersih Sarawak also condemned the state government for banning one of its steering committee members, Thomas Fann, from entering the state on Wednesday.
Fann was allegedly told by Immigration Department officers upon arrival at Miri Airport that he was barred from entering the state under Section 67 of the Immigration Act.
Fann was scheduled to help organise the convoy in Miri.
“We reiterate our stand on the arbitrariness of the banning as utterly absurd and a clear act of misuse of power,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Murnie Hidayah Anuar, a lawyer for Kamek For Change, which is also with Bersih Sarawak, thanked the police for the positive response.