KOTA KINABALU, Aug 19 — The Sabah edition of “Bersih 4” will be held at the popular Tanjung Lipat esplanade, Bersih 2.0’s state chapter announced today after meeting with the police on plans for the overnight rally this August 29.

Bersih 2.0’s Sabah chairman Jannie Lasimbang told reporters this afternoon that the police “accepted” the group’s notice on the rally although she stopped short of confirming if this meant an official approval from the enforcement agency on the selected venue.

“The police have accepted our ‘borang pemberitahuan’, so we hope there will not be any interference this time,” said Lasimbang, adding that the process has so far been smoother compared to the May Day rally earlier this year.

The activist, who was speaking to reporters after the meeting at the Karamunsing police station here, said the group also hopes the police would be able to assist in facilitating the event and ensuring the safety of its participants.

She said the Tanjung Lipat esplanade was chosen because of its popularity and accessibility to the public.

The esplanade on the Likas bay stretch is popular among joggers, cyclists and sightseers for its scenic views and facilities, which includes public toilets, a playground, shelter and open grounds suitable for an event of its size.

“We think it is the most suitable site that can accommodate overnight camping and the number of interactive programmes that we are planning,” Lasimbang said, adding that apart from the police, Sabah Bersih has also notified the Kota Kinabalu City Hall.

The rally, dubbed Bersih 4, will run simultaneously with a main rally in Kuala Lumpur this August 29 but the Sabah edition will run slightly shorter hours.

The scheduled programmes for the event include activities by women, youth, art and music groups.

“We are hoping that we can move on from the tragedy of the May Day rally, where authorities prevented us from having a peaceful rally by pre-empting our efforts and suspected us of negative elements.

“We are not trying to topple the government, we just want a platform to be able to voice our concerns,” Lasimbang said.

She urged members of the public to join the event by taking selfies to express their willingness to participate in the overnight rally, aside from donning yellow and putting up yellow ribbons on trees, fences and anywhere else.

“We have just started our campaign of hanging yellow ribbons on trees today, and we hope more will join in this show of support for democracy,” she said.

Sabah’s May Day rally was originally planned to take place in the centre of Kota Kinabalu but police secured a court order banning the organisers, politicians, activists and members of the public from being in the vicinity.

It was later discovered that the order was expired, but police insisted on its validity.

The rally eventually saw 1,000 people attending, short of the 10,000 crowd it targeted.