The police must no longer take action against Bersih 2.0 or those possessing its paraphernalia now that the movement and the government has come to a compromise over the Saturday rally, said DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang.

NONE Lim ( left ) said that as a first step, the police should immediately "stand down its apparatus of repression" against Bersih 2.0 supporters and focus on crime-fighting.

"All police personnel in the country should be directed immediately to go back to their most important duties of keeping the streets and homes of Malaysians safe and free from crime," he said.

He added that the police should also stop taking action against those in possession of Bersih 2.0 T-shirts as more such shirts are to be printed in time for the stadium rally.

Lim also called on the police to release all those arrested in connection with the rally and that charges laid against them be dropped.

"(This must include) the ridiculous Emergency Ordinance charges against Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jayakumar and other PSM members," said Lim.

Subversive activities

As of July 2, more than 220 people, including two foreigners , have been arrested by the police in connection with the Bersih 2.0 rally.

NONE In some cases, such as that of Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye , ( centre ) the arrests were made just because the suspect was wearing a yellow T-shirt in public.

Scores of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members were also nabbed during their roadshow on June 25. Some were charged under the Societies Act 1966 while others were detained without trial under the Emergency Ordinance.

It was claimed that the group were involved in subversive activities including promoting communism .

Lim said that at this juncture, the police action against Bersih 2.0 and its supporters must be dropped to "return the country to the course of sanity, good and common sense".

He said that the Agong's intervention was "just and wise", which had spared the country from further embarrassment because the government was treating a peaceful rally for free and fair elections as a major enemy.

"Equally important, Malaysia is also spared the international embarrassment of her credentials and qualifications as a member of the UN Human Rights Council questioned or even censured by other countries because of a most egregious crackdown on the most basic and fundamental of human rights in Malaysia".

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