Press Release
3 November 2007
In response to a letter from ACP Mohamad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman, OCPD of Dang Wangi dated 29 October 2007 urging BERSIH to apply for a permit for the event on 10 November, as well as acknowledging requests from the Police at an amicable dialogue session held between BERSIH and SAC1 Datuk Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin and senior police officers on 1 November, the BERSIH Steering Committee has written to the Police to inform them officially about the People’s Peace Gathering.

BERSIH is organising this public gathering for the purpose of delivering a memorandum to the Yang diPertuan Agong to seek his views and commitment to the campaign for electoral reform and free and fair elections in Malaysia. We are operating on the basis that all citizens of Malaysia enjoy the right to peaceful public assembly under the Federal Constitution.
This right has repeatedly been emphasized by SUHAKAM who has looked at the issue of right of peaceful public assembly on several occasions and conducted several public inquiries into the matter.
At BERSIH’s meeting with Datuk Zulhasnan on 1 November, we reiterated our stand that BERSIH fully agrees that the police have an important role to play in ensuring the smooth conduct of the public gathering.
We have written to ACP Zulkarnain, Officer-in-charge of the Dang Wangi Police District, to officially inform the Police about the gathering.
BERSIH will also seek a meeting early next week with ACP Zulkarnain to discuss the logistical arrangements so that the gathering can take place with the full cooperation of all parties.