PAS Youth today shot down the proposal to allow demonstrations in stadiums without the need for permits, saying it is unacceptable to assume protesters are violent.

The party’s Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan said there is no reason for the authorities to stop demonstrations in public areas as it has been proven that such events are peaceful - provided there is no police interference.

“(PAS) Youth does not agree to hold (demonstrations) in stadiums. We are not organising a festival or an expo... we want to organise a gathering that will walk for justice so we will move and not assemble in one place,” he told PAS organ Harakahdaily .

pas umno pemuda talks parliment 010709 nasrudin hassan Nasrudin ( right ) was commenting on the recent suggestion by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who said he will propose to the cabinet to allow demonstrations without the need for permits in stadiums.

Hishammuddin, who is also an Umno vice-president, claimed that this would avoid demonstrations affecting public order and security.

Nasrudin claimed that it was never the demonstrators who caused pandemonium but rather the police and Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) members who used heavy-handed measures and sprayed tear gas and water cannons on the pretext of “calming the situation”.

He said the people’s wish to express their anger and dissatisfaction over an issue will never be achieved in an enclosed venue, stressing that demonstrating is a “soft art” that requires a “soft approach”.

“The concept of demonstrating is a show of protest, which means we want to show society what we are protesting against.

“We hope the government will not interfere and instead give its clearance to the people and guarantee it remains peaceful and does not contribute to any damage.

“We urge the police not to use any provocation by using water cannons to create chaos,” he said, warning that violence will only be met with more violence.

Politicians and NGOs in support of the Walk for Democracy planned for this July 9 have come out to condemn Hishammuddin’s proposal, with some saying that the minister is “talking nonsense” .

Pro-election reform NGO Bersih 2.0 plans to organise a repeat of the historic Bersih rally in 2007, where an estimated 40,000 people took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demand for better election practices.