Police on alert despite street rally cancellation

Wednesday July 6, 2011
Police on alert despite street rally cancellation

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will remain on stand-by although the July 9 street rally has been called off.

“We will still be ready for all possibilities to maintain public safety,” said Acting City police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Amar Singh.

Internal Security and Public Order Director Datuk Salleh Mat Rasid said there was also the possibility of enlisting the help of the Armed Forces.

“We will have to look at the situation and decide on the proper action required,” he said at a Bersatu Aman police and Armed Forces joint exercise.

The exercise showed the capabilities of the authorities to deal with demonstrations through the use of tear gas and water cannon for crowd control.

Salleh said although it was not in response to the earlier proposed illegal march, the exercise showed that police and the Armed Forces were well equipped to handle any situation.

In KOTA KINABALU, police said they were prepared to maintain peace and security ahead of two planned gatherings on Saturday.

Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Hamza Taib warned the public not to take part in any illegal gathering.

“We will use every law that we can from the Societies Act to Section 108 of the Penal Code (for abetment) and the Police Act.

“We may even consider using the Emergency Ordinance or the Internal Security Act,” he said.

He said 135 police reports had been lodged opposing the Bersih 2.0 rally in Sabah.

Hamza said police received word that Bersih 2.0 supporters would gather at two locations at the historic Padang Merdeka and an open space area near the sea fronting Anjung Selera.

Police, he said, would hold a 12-hour public order exercise tomorrow even though the street demonstrations had been called off.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/6/nation/9034494&sec=nation