July 22 rally organiser says will abide by all conditions set

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William (right), Chin (fifth right) and others pose with Awang Din (fifth left) and senior Kuching police officers following their recent meeting.

MIRI: The Sarawak Day rally in Kuching on July 22 will adhere to all rules and regulations set by the authorities, says rally organising chairman William Mangor.

In a press release issued yesterday, he said the organiser aims to ensure the safety of all participants and members of the public, and will follow all the requirements set and advice given by the police.

He added he had led a delegation of Sarawak for Sarawakians (S4S) members, including S4S co-founder Erick Chin, to pay a courtesy visit to Kuching police chief ACP Awang Din Awang Gani on Monday to discuss the planned rally.

“At the meeting, we were advised that there must be no children or people with disabilities joining the rally. It is also prohibited for participants to bring weapons such as knives or items that are considered dangerous.

“More importantly, we were advised to remind participants to not do or say anything seditious or display any unapproved banners during the rally,” he said.

He stressed that anyone who refused to cooperate would have to face the consequences on their own, as S4S would not bear any responsibility.

William also advised participants to be at Jubilee Ground as early as 7.30am to park their vehicles, to avoid congestion at the Song Kheng Hai rugby field where the rally’s second stop will take place.

From there, the rally will move on to Padang Merdeka to join Sarawak Association for People’s Aspiration (Sapa) for the programme finale.

“We also advise participants to either carpool or use public transportation in order to reduce traffic congestion, as we expect some 4,000 to 5,000 people to join the rally,” he added.