KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Social media is abuzz with excitement over the Bersih 4 rally this weekend, but several students and older Malaysians planning to join the protest say they do not intend to stay overnight due to prior commitments and safety concerns.

Getting protesters to sleep on the streets is also complicated with the timing of the rally organised by polls reform group Bersih 2.0 that coincides with the semester break for public universities, with students being the one group that has previously shown willingness to stay overnight in a rally, such as at the Occupy Dataran protest in 2012.  

“We will turn up for the rally for sure because we want to prove a point that everyone, including the young people, are dissatisfied on how the country is being run now.

“But, a lot of those that come for the rally have other commitments pre-planned. Not all of them would stay for the course of the night.

“Even if they do, they might go back halfway as it is tiring and they won’t be able to last till the next day,” Karavin Thambirajah from KDU University College, 23, told Malay Mail Online in an interview this week.

Five of eight private university students polled by Malay Mail Online said they would not stay overnight at the Bersih 4 rally that aims to push for institutional reforms and for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s resignation amid the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy, while one was undecided on the matter.

Angelyn Ho from HELP University said as much as she would like to stay overnight on the streets, her parents have cautioned her against it.

“I don’t think I’ll be staying overnight even if I go because of safety concerns. There might be unwanted incidents that happen.

“But the overnight staying while it might be good for [your] spirits, it is not really effective and puts a lot of people in danger,” the 22-year-old Ipoh-born told Malay Mail Online.

Lukman Hakim from Gerakan Mahasiswa Selamatkan Negara said the student movement’s plan to get students to attend the Bersih 4 rally at the city centre this weekend has been affected by the annual semester break for public universities and a student orientation this week.

“We have spoken to a lot of students to get them to attend Bersih. The support we have received so far is very encouraging,” said Lukman.

“However, a lot of them are still on holidays and their hometowns are far away. It would be difficult for them to attend the rally.

“Then, there is also the new student orientation happening this week. A lot of students and student leaders are preoccupied with that as well,” he added.

University of Malaya Student Council (PMUM) president Ammar Attan said the student group expected to gather between 500 and 1,000 students to attend the rally, with 100 students having confirmed that they will stay overnight.

“We are currently planning on what activities that we will be organising from the student’s behalf to support the rally during the overnight stay.

“The activities include talks, debates and even musical sessions,” the public university student told Malay Mail Online.

Kesatuan Mahasiswa Malaysia (KMM) president Khairol Najib said students were fully supportive of Bersih 2.0’s demands, despite the obstacles faced in turning up for the rally.

“The students and the young people are part of this and agree with Bersih as we need an alternative in the current political climate,” Khairol told Malay Mail Online.

“We need to return democracy to this beautiful country, Those present at the rally will be there throughout the whole period, including sleeping on the streets,” he added.

Students have previously taken to streets and camped out overnight in the Occupy Dataran protest to demand the abolition of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN).

The rally in April 2012 saw some 500 tertiary students marching through the streets of Kuala Lumpur and setting up base at Dataran Merdeka for close to a week.

Bersih 2.0 chief Maria Chin Abdullah told Malay Mail Online that between 3,000 and 5,000 people are estimated to stay overnight at the Bersih 4 rally on August 29 and 30, out of the estimated 250,000 participants at the demonstration in the city centre.

Loke Poh Lin, a 56-year-old writer, said she and between 50 and 60 of her friends were planning to attend the Bersih 4 rally, but that most were not inclined on staying overnight due to “other commitments”.

“Some have families to get back to,” Loke told Malay Mail Online.

“Even me, I’ll be going back [home] as I have my pets to tend to, but I’ll be returning from time to time to pass food and essentials to those camping out”.

Kindergarten principal Christine Lai, 55, said a number of her friends indicated that they would attend the demonstration, but only one so far confirmed on staying overnight, while she herself would not stay the night due to a holiday planned before Bersih 4 was scheduled.

“In my personal opinion, I don’t think a lot of Malaysians are willing to spend a night out on the streets. People, especially in my generation, are not too keen. It might be too much for some as after all, we are a pampered society,” Lai told Malay Mail Online.

NGO coordinator Ann Nicole Nunis, 28, said 10 to 15 of her friends have confirmed they will go for the Bersih 4 rally, but were unsure if they would stay overnight due to safety concerns.

“We want to take proper precautions and how we mobilise. We don’t know how the rally will pan out and what will happen,” she told Malay Mail Online.

The last rally by Bersih 2.0 held in 2012 that was attended by more than 100,000 people saw a mass crackdown by the authorities as the rally was dispersing.

This time around, the police have barred the Bersih 4 rally on grounds that the organisers did not get permission from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall that it dubbed as the “owner” of Dataran Merdeka, the planned venue for the demonstration in the city centre.

Simultaneous rallies will be held at Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Kuching in Sarawak. Global Bersih, which represents the polls election reform watchdog internationally have also said it will hold solidarity rallies in several cities around the world.