Discussion: Bersih Venue Moved To Stadium

Originally a mass street march, the controversial Bersih 2.0 rally is now set to held in a stadium. Give us your thoughts on this latest development.

YOUR TAKE: Sign in here and COMMENT on this issue. Do you agree with the decision to have the rally in a stadium instead of on the streets? Or do you think the rally shouldn't be held at all? Is this latest development a win for Bersih organisers, or the ruling government? Or is it win-win (or lose-lose) situation for all parties?

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UPDATE: The Star, a Malaysian daily, reports that Bersih 2.0 organisers want to have the event at Stadium Merdeka this Saturday (9th July) afternoon (2pm - 4pm). Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Bersih's most prominent leader, made the announcement on Wednesday, and said they would seek formal approval for the stadium's use soon.

Elsewhere, Malaysiakini, an online news portal, reports that some opposition politicians have been sporting "Kotor" T-shirts (as opposed to "Bersih" T-shirts) when meeting with the public. In Malay, "Bersih" means clean and "Kotor" means dirty.

These "Kotor" T-shirts are satirical imitations of the Bersih T-shirts which (like the rally) have attracted much controversy in recent weeks. Authorities repeatedly stated that wearing items promoting the Bersih rally violates the law.

The "Kotor" T-shirts are similar to the Bersih ones except for some key features. In lieu of Bersih's tick symbol, the "Kotor" version has an 'X' sign, and substitutes the words "bersihkan pilihanraya" with "BN" and "53 tahun" (referring respectively to the Barisan Nasional coalition and its 53 years of rule).

--- UPDATE ENDS HERE --- Agence France-Presse reporting follows

Malaysia's king has made a rare intervention in politics, pressuring an electoral reform group to call off Tuesday a planned street protest over fears it could spark riots.

The July 9 rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur, which had been expected to draw large crowds despite police warning it was illegal and detaining 150 opposition politicians and activists involved, will now be held in a stadium.

"We met the king to explain our position and following the discussions we have decided to call off the street protest for July 9," Zaid Kamaruddin of the organising group Bersih 2.0 told AFP.

"As a compromise, we are now going to hold the rally in a stadium," he said.

- MSN News

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