KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Maria Chin Abdullah tonight offered an idea to prospective participants of tomorrow’s rally on how to circumvent the Home Ministry’s ban on clothing with the words “Bersih 4” on them, saying all they needed to do was change the phrase to “Bersih 4.0”.

In a brief response to the ban that came into effect today, the chairman of polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 also told those bent on using the tees to proceed if they preferred to do so.

“For those who have already made up their minds, carry on wearing your #Bersih4 t-shirts tomorrow,” she said.

“If you want to be cheeky, try adding a point zero after the number 4 on your t-shirt,” she added.

The more “anxious” rally-goers or first-timers, Chin said, could choose to abide by the ban and turn up in any other attire.

They could also wave the Jalur Gemilang flags to mark their celebration of Merdeka Day next week.

Earlier today, the government gazetted a fresh order by the Home Ministry, banning all items related to the Bersih 4 mass demonstration, including its promotional materials and any item of clothing bearing the rally’s name as well as its signature yellow.

According to the federal gazette on the Attorney-General’s Chambers website, the ban was issued yesterday under the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984 and officially comes into effect today.

The order, issued by Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi within his powers under Section 7(1) of the PPPA, stipulates that: “The printing, importation, production, reproduction, publishing, sale, issue, circulation, distribution or possession of the publication described in the Schedule which is likely to be prejudicial to public order, likely to be prejudicial to security, likely to be contrary to any law and likely to be prejudicial to national interest are absolutely prohibited throughout Malaysia”.

Under the schedule, the ministry listed “any yellow coloured clothing and which contains the words “Bersih 4” and “any other printed material and pamphlet which leads to Bersih 4 rally” as the two types of “publications” banned.

Tomorrow’s Bersih 4 rally is expected to last through the night for 34 hours. It will be held simultaneously with similar rallies in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Kuching in Sarawak and elsewhere across the globe.

Bersih 4’s five demands are: clean elections; clean government; right to dissent; strengthening parliamentary democracy and saving the economy.