KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 ― Bersih 2.0 welcomed today Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) plans to record the upcoming Bersih 4 rally via closed-circuit television (CCTV) and urged for full recordings to be made available to the public.

The polls reform group also pledged that they would cooperate with authorities to ensure that the planned rally went on smoothly and said they have already arranged for approximately 2,000 security personnel to control the crowd.

“Bersih 2.0 is happy DBKL has said CCTV cameras will be in operation, and calls upon DBKL to make the full recordings available to the public (instead of just portions),” the rally organiser said in a statement here.

“We informed DBKL that we have arranged for about 2,000 our own security personnel to control the crowds. We reminded the police that they should not renege on their duty to control crowds and that they should refrain from inciting the crowds,” Bersih 2.0 added.

Bersih 2.0 also said the march will proceed towards Dataran Merdeka from Brickfields, Pasar Seni, Masjid Negara, Dataran Maybank and Sogo ― and will be in the vicinity of the historic square.

It reiterated that it would respect the Merdeka Day preparations and will have protesters spend the night on the streets of KL.

“Bersih 2.0 withdraws its earlier request for participants to bring tents. Instead, we now ask participants to bring sleeping bags, blankets and umbrellas in addition to food and drink. Due to the ‘sudden unavailability’ of Dataran Merdeka and Padang Merbok, participants will have to rest overnight on the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

“We call upon DBKL to humanely accept this decision,” Bersih 2.0 said.

City police chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa confirmed yesterday that the police have barred the Bersih 4 overnight rally as it did not fulfil the prerequisites for notice of the rally and also because the organisers did not get permission from DBKL.

KL Mayor Datuk Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz said Tuesday that Bersih 4 attendees will not be allowed to use the historic Dataran Merdeka, although they will be permitted to assemble on sidewalks in the vicinity.

Bersih 2.0 chair Maria Chin Abdullah has said, however, that the rally would go on as planned.

She also pointed out that before the date for the rally was set, DBKL had informed the electoral watchdog that Dataran Merdeka was available.