KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — The “Red Shirts” movement would not exist if Bersih 2.0 did not hold its mass street protests, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also home minister, pointed out that the movement was started last year in reaction to the Bersih 4 rally then.
“I would like to state if there is no yellow, there won’t be red.
“If there is no Maria Chin (Abdullah), there won’t be Jamal Yunos. Both shouldn’t do a rally,” Ahmad Zahid said during his wrapping up speech for the debate of the Budget today.
Chin is the chairman of Bersih 2.0 while Sungai Besar Umno chief Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos is the self-proclaimed leader of the so-called “Red Shirts”.
Ahmad Zahid then said that Putrajaya will not sanction any rally by either group.
“The government has decided with the police to not allow any gathering either by the red or the yellow because we don’t want a clash to take place between the two groups,” Ahmad Zahid said, adding that 175 police reports had been lodged against both parties.
The Bagan Datoh MP also warned that the police will not hesitate to take “rightful action” on both groups if they proceed with the rallies.
Bersih 2.0 plans to hold the fifth edition of its street protest on November 19. Jamal has pledged to mobilise 300,000 people for a counter rally.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall today rejected applications by both to hold their rallies at Dataran Merdeka. Bersih 2.0 said it will try to renegotiate with authorities while Jamal has since announced a surrogate rally outside the Malaysiakini office nearby.
