The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is seeking RM34,150 for damages to 3,300 plants around the city due to two rallies held on Nov 19 last year.

In the legal notice addressed to both electoral reforms pressure group Bersih and Persatuan Gabungan NGO Gerakan Merah Malaysia dated Dec 27, DBKL said the two groups have 14 days to pay up.

The notice, signed by DBKL legal and prosecution department director Rohayah Karim, said DBKL will take legal action against the two groups if they do not comply.

The document does not state how the bill should be split between the two groups.

When contacted, Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said her group was not obliged to pay.

"I don't think we should pay. I don't think any public property had been destroyed," she said.

"The government should not do this, suing or claiming damages from civil society as this is our right of expression."

She said she was uncertain of where the large number of plants cited by DBKL were located.

In the notice, DBKL claimed that 1,000 Loropetalum Chinense Var Rubrum (each costing RM19.20) along the road divider of Jalan Ampang as well as 2,300 Duranta Erecta Gold plants (each costing RM6.50) within the vicinity were destroyed.

Bersih crowd were rerouted to KLCC through Jalan Ampang after they were blocked from approaching Dataran Merdeka. The red-shirts mainly gathered at Padang Merbok.

Both Maria and red-shirts leader Jamal Md Yunos were arrested before the rally.

Jamal: We can prove our innocence

Jamal said he would ascertain if his followers were present along Jalan Ampang, the location of the allegedly damaged shrubs and hedges.

"We have the images and video footage. If it was proven we were present (at Jalan Ampang), we will pay the bill fully without any excuse," said the Sungai Besar Umno division chief.

The red-shirts could easily clear settle the bill through a RM1 donation campaign, he said.

If proven otherwise, Jamal said his group will appeal against the DBKL claims.

Meanwhile, Jamal said Bersih should be the one footing the bill because the red-shirts had rallied as a reaction to Bersih 5.

He said rightfully, DBKL should have charged Bersih much more.

"(The sum sought) is too little. They should have asked for hundreds of thousands," he said.

Meanwhile, DBKL Legal and Prosecution senior deputy director Fadzilah Abd Rashid said evidence to substantiate their claims would be proven in court.

"I am not bothered. Let the court decide," said Kuala Lumpur Mayor Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz when told that Bersih had decided not to pay, while the red-shirts are trying to absolve themselves.