Police probing Janji Demokrasi organisers

Police are investigating the organisers of the Janji Demokrasi rally at the Dataran Merdeka area in Kuala Lumpur yesterday that attracted about 10,000 people.

Confirming this, Kuala Lumpur criminal investigations department chief Ku Chin Wah said the probe is under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

"We will continue to investigate them under the Act," he said in a text message to Malaysiakini.

Last night, Dang Wangi OCPD Zainuddin Ahmad said police will "investigate later" if Bersih's co-chairperson A Samad Said has broken the law by reciting a poem.

Samad, a national laureate, recited his poem 'Janji Demokrasi' last night at the square outside the Kuala Lumpur City Hall headquarters less than 500 metres from Dataran Merdeka.

No mass arrests

Despite declaring the rally illegal at the last minute, no mass arrests took place on the thousands who thronged the area in yellow shirts on the eve of National Day.

However, police detained two people who were allegedly caught lighting fireworks.

At 2.15pm yesterday, Janji Demokrasi organising committee member Maria Chin Abdullah received a letter from the police informing her that the rally was considered illegal.

The letter cited the organisers’ failure to give police advance notice of the rally and failure to obtain permission from the venue's owner, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as the reasons.

Both conditions are required under Section 9(1) and Section 11 of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, respectively.

The rally was meant to remind the government of unfulfilled promises for clean and fair elections.

Its name plays on the government's official theme for the national day celebrations, ‘Janji Ditepati' (promises fulfilled), which is also the BN’s campaign slogan.