Perkasa also eyeing Stadium Merdeka

Stephanie Sta Maria

Ibrahim Ali says Perkasa submitted application first.

KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa has confirmed that its rally will go on as scheduled this Saturday and, like Bersih, has submitted an application to gather in Stadium Merdeka.

Ibrahim Ali, president of the far-right Malay group, told a press conference today that he stood by an earlier statement that Perkasa would hold a counter rally regardless of the legal status of Bersih’s rally.

“We are slightly relieved that Bersih has decided to hold its rally in a stadium,” he said. “And I understand that they too have chosen Stadium Merdeka. But we submitted our application first to use that venue and I hope that is taken into consideration.”

Earlier today, the stadium’s management rejected Bersih’s application. Ibrahim said Perkasa would turn to Stadium Titiwangsa if failed to get Stadium Merdeka.

“We are helpless because we have no venue of our own,” he said. “We can’t use any stadium in Selangor because the state government will definitely not approve our application. And Stadium Bukit Jalil is too large and too far away.”

“So we have chosen Stadium Titiwangsa behind Istana Budaya. And we hope that we will be able to use it for free because as an NGO, Perkasa is not flush with cash.”

However, Ibrahim added, Perkasa would have no choice but to postpone its rally if Stadium Titiwangsa were unavailable on July 9.

Ibrahim guaranteed that Perkasa’s rally would be a peaceful. There would be talks on national security as well as Bersih’s eight demands, he said.

“We are no longer holding our rally to meet Bersih head-on since their rally has been taken off the streets,” he said. “Our rally is meant to express our stand against that of Bersih.

“We want people to know that although thousands are gathering on one side, there are also thousands gathering on another side. Perkasa is here to balance perception.”

Ibrahim also said that Perkasa would refrain from adjourning to the Bersih rally venue even if it got wind of trouble breaking out there.

“We will leave it up to the police,” he said. “Besides, the army is also ready to offer support in such a situation.”

Ibrahim also gave his word that the Perkasa rally would only proceed with a police permit and expressed confidence that it would be granted.

“The police will only grant permits to legal organisations, which Bersih is obviously not,” he said. “So if Bersih is given a permit, then the police themselves are defying the country’s laws.

“We will get our permit because we are clean and Bersih is dirty. How can a permit be granted to an illegal organisation that has already stirred up security issues in the country?”

Ibrahim referred to the arrests of 31 Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) members for allegedly waging war against the King as well as the discovery of parangs, Molotov cocktails and Bersih T-shirts yesterday.

When asked if the weapons could have been planted in an attempt to tarnish Bersih’s reputation, Ibrahim dismissed the possibility as being “too far-fetched”.

“We don’t know for sure if it was planted or not but that question insults the professionalism of the police,” he thundered. “And this is my message to the prime minister. Where security is concerned, the police know best, not the prime minister.”

“It is not for the prime minister or the home minister to issue orders to the police. It is the other way around. There should be no political intervention in the country’s security issues. Not even from the ruling party.”