Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said the election watchdog presented the suggestion to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in the hopes that he would be open-minded and work with Bersih.
“We have asked them, the police, now you choose from one point in Kuala Lumpur to Taman Jaya, whatever,” she told reporters outside Bukit Aman police headquarters here after meeting with IGP Tan Sri Ismail Omar.
“You choose what route, we will follow. And we will do it peacefully.”
The police were required by law to protect any party wanting to hold an assembly and could arrest those who refused to gather in peaceful fashion, she pointed out.
Ambiga revealed that Ismail did not respond to the request during the “very friendly” meeting but stressed that she remained “ever hopeful” Bersih will get a positive answer from him next week.
“This will go on with police help. That is what I’m positive about... And I’m going to remain positive because that’s best for everybody,” she said.
Ambiga declined to comment on Bersih’s next course of action if the IGP remained steadfast in his refusal to let the rally take place, saying she would cross that bridge when she came to it.
Bersih will take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur on July 9 to demand free and fair elections.
The government, however, insists that elections are already free and fair, citing the opposition’s historic gains in Election 2008.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) hopes the demonstration will generate momentum ahead of a general election expected within a year.
The first Bersih rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur before being dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannon.
The demonstration has been partly credited for PR’s record gains in the 2008 general election, which saw the opposition pact swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.
The police, however, have alleged that the Bersih 2.0 rally is being masterminded by foreign parties who wish to see chaos in the country and have promised to crack down on Bersih supporters if they go ahead with the march.
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