KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — Ahead of Bersih 4 this weekend, the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) said today it has been preparing itself to step in should the peaceful gathering turn chaotic, fearing a repeat of Bangkok’s August 17 Erawan Shrine bombing in Malaysia.
ATM chief General Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin was quoted by English daily The Star saying Malaysia’s security forces will intervene in the planned mass gathering this weekend, but only if a state of emergency is declared by Putrajaya.
“We worry if rallies like these turn into states of emergency due to certain reasons. What happened in the Thailand bombing—there are people who take advantage of the situation … This is what we worry about.
“There are many factors that could turn a rally, however peaceful, chaotic,” he told reporters at the Defence Ministry.
Despite that, Zulkifeli said the current situation has not called for ATM’s involvement just yet.
“ATM will only intervene in the rally if the government declares a state of emergency,” he said.
“If the situation is categorised as a threat to public order, we will take over the role of the police in containing the situation.”
ATM’s announcement came after Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed warned the public earlier today of a purported “anarchist” group, whom he said might provoke the police into using force against participants of the Bersih 4 rally this weekend.
On Tuesday, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim denied taser-like stun guns will be used against potential lawbreakers at this weekend’s Bersih 4 rally, but admitted that the authorities are already equipped and trained to use such a weapon.
Noor Rashid was quoted by Chinese vernacular paper Oriental Daily on Monday as saying the police might use tasers to neutralise participants at the Bersih 4 rally if the situation warranted it.
Bersih 2.0’s latest rally dubbed “Bersih 4” will go on this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching in Sarawak, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and several other cities across the globe.
The five demands of the rally are clean elections; clean government; right to dissent; strengthening parliamentary democracy and saving the economy.
