Former Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan disputed inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar's statement yesterday that no proper notice was given to hold the rally outside Dataran Merdeka.

Ambiga said proper notice was given to the police and a map was also provided to the police on the routes that were to be taken.

"In my legal opinion the notice given is valid," she said today.

"A map was also given to help the police and I was also there to accompany when the documents were submitted by Bersih. Hence the people should turn up in huge numbers and not be afraid."

Ambiga said they had a cordial meeting with the police last week where all the details had been discussed.

Ambiga thinks Khalid could be trying to scare the protesters by saying so.

'Police worried about big numbers'

The police, she said, were worried that there will be big numbers.

"From the feedback that we got, Bersih 5 will be big," Ambiga, who now heads the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) said.

Yesterday evening Khalid issued a statement saying that Bersih did not inform the police of a venue change.

"We were made to understand that since no consent letter was obtained (from DBKL), the organiser decided to assemble outside Dataran Merdeka.

"But to date, no notice regarding the change of venue has been submitted to the police," he said in the statement.

Khalid further said the organisers would be committing the offence of failure to give notice under the PAA 2012 if they proceeded with the said assembly.

Asked about this, Ambiga said she hoped the IGP had checked with his subordinates with regard to the application submitted.

She said Bersih is likely mount a legal challenge if there is any move to bar the Nov 19 rally.