With the massive Bersih 2.0 rally just around the corner, the police have intensified their crackdown on its supporters, arresting just about anyone remotely promoting it.

Since June 24, more than 100 people including lawmakers have been nabbed , with some still languishing in the police lockup till today.

NONE Many of them were detained simply for wearing the now made infamous yellow Bersih 2.0 T-shirt.

Just last Wednesday, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein raised eyebrows when he declared that clothes related to illegal activities are also illegal, justifying the police action.

"If the Bersih T-shirt is related to an illegal activity, then whatever they are wearing is illegal," he was reported to have said.

A Malaysiakini survey around Klang Valley - at the Bandar Tasik Selatan bus terminal and Masjid Jamek - yesterday, asked 14 people from various age groups and races what they thought about the ban.

A majority of them did not agree to it. Here are their views.

Rodzi Baharom, 45 (architect)

"As long as the demonstration has yet to take place, Hishammuddin's actions look unfair because it doesn't threaten national security and it's only people wearing t-shirts.

T-shirt politics? What politics?

"It's not like the T-shirts had obscene words on it. This kind of things, no one bothers. So why is anything that is politically-related an issue?"

Mohd Zaki Mohd Simal, 19

"Wearing that T-shirt is within the confines of our civil liberties. The rally itself was also supported by the majority of the people according to the poll done by The Star."

(Editor's note: The poll, however, was taken down from The Star Online after claims of fraud and manipulation in the voting)

"If there are kids who wear the Bersih T-shirt, don't say the kids are to be arrested as well?". It is personal freedom to wear what they want.

NONE Lee Kah Kee, 19 ( right )

Feels the ban is unfair because the rally was not an illegal assembly.

Norhuda Ali, 25

Questioned the banning of the Bersih 2.0 T-shirt, asking  if those wearing yellow will also be arrested.

"Will those wearing yellow while they are out and about be arrested too?"

Banu Priya Tiagarajan, 19

"To me, it's not fair. Wearing the Bersih T-shirt should not be wrong."

Past an example to follow

Sahahruddin Abdul Majid, 53

The purpose of the Bersih rally was to march in peace, and that if the rally had not taken place, the people would not have known what the government is up to.

"We saw that four years ago (in the first Bersih demonstration), the demonstrators did not harass anybody, and yet they were sprayed by water cannons. Now we can't even wear the Bersih T-shirt?

"Without the opposition, the rakyat would not know what the government has really been doing.

"It's not wrong to wear the Bersih T-shirt if they are not going to bother anyone.

It's just that people think that the Bersih logo is a problem because they think that it criticises the government. To the government, everything that they do is correct, and everyone else is wrong."

NONE Maniammah Masilamani, 22 ( right )

She agrees that Hishammuddin is acting unjustly, since the demonstration has yet to take place and that peace and order still prevails in the country.

"So after this shops can't be painted yellow?"

Considerate government needed

Meghala Balasubramaniam, 29

The Bersih 2.0 T-shirt should not be banned because it is a very trivial matter.

"You don't have to ban the Bersih shirt. It is so common and it's not wrong. The government should be considerate."

NONE Nuruddin Mohamad, 28 ( right )

The shirt itself should not be a problem but the ban was probably because the government is worried about the rally on July 9.

"It's not fair to ban it because that is just a T-shirt."

Caryn Kong, 23, Michigan University graduate

The T-shirt should not be banned because it exposes a mentality that the country is not yet developed.

"The banning is not fair. To what end will the police keep on arresting people? This does not reflect a developed nation."

However, there are also some who are felt that the minister's actions are justified for the sake of national security.

Syaza Jamaluddin, 23

Based on his experience of watching demonstrations, the T-shirt ban is justified.

"If this is to prevent rioting, then I think it is correct."

Nurhusna Abu Mansor, 29, bank officer

NONE Nurhusna ( right ) agrees that the T-shirt should be banned to forestall the chaos that would come with a rally.

"If (the T-shirt) can incite chaos, then it is fair to ban it."

Roslan Mohamad, 25

If wearing the T-shirt could lead to instability in the country, then they should be arrested.

"If they are wearing that yellow Bersih T-shirt and harassing people, they should be arrested."

He added that the July 9 Bersih rally is merely a way for the organisers to convey their demands to the government.

"They want to be in the government but they don't have a voice now".