Election reform pressure group Bersih has dismissed suggestions that the Bersih 4 rally will cause further harm to the economy.

Instead, Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said, the country will be better off if the demands of the Bersih 4 rally are met.

"I disagree with suggestions that we will harm the economy," Maria said when met outside the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.

"If they listen to the reforms that we want, it will actually bring back (business) confidence in Malaysia and put us on our way back to economic recovery," she said.

Earlier today, Urban Wellbeing, Housing, and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan called on Bersih to postpone the rally on grounds that it will have an adverse impact on the already ailing economy.

Maria ( photo ) explained that Bersih 4's demands included calls for institutional reforms, such as free and fair elections and clean governance, which were good for the economy.

"And that is what we want. That is what we want for the future of the country.

"We are not rallying to destroy the country. We want to tell the government that this is our proposal. We can't implement it, it has to be the government and lawmakers to do it.

"If they implement it, I can assure you that the economy will bounce back," Maria said.

'Rally-goers are not criminals'

Rahman earlier today had tweeted how the rally's timing was bad, especially since Malaysians were losing billions and jobs.

"Bersih 4 should be wise. This is the time for calm and composure, in light of the global economic meltdown. Even just for a few weeks," Rahman said in a series of Twitter postings.

Ultimately, he said, ordinary Malaysians will become the victims if the economy is affected.

Meanwhile, when asked whether Bersih could give the assurance that the rally would be peaceful, Maria said the assurance should come from participants of the rally.

"We are not criminals. I don't have to give the assurance, the people have to give the assurance that they will come peacefully

"And I believe that people who come for the rally don't have violence in their minds.

"We have asked the police, if they feel that some people are causing violence, then they should arrest them and the police have agreed," she said.

Bersih 4 is to protest against scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, as well as to press for sweeping reforms.

Najib had come under siege for his handling of 1MDB, which is struggling to repay its debts, and also the deposits of RM2.6 billion into his personal bank accounts.

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