Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has not received any application from Bersih to use Dataran Merdeka for the planned sit-in protest on April 28, the city mayor said.

“I have not received anything. When I don’t receive anything, I cannot respond. I only heard it through the media ... When we receive, we will reply,” Ahmad Fuad Ismail added.

He was responding to a question at a press conference today.

Yesterday, Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan said the coalition sent letters to DBKL and the police on Monday evening in relation to the rally to demand clean and fair elections.

NONE Asked about the anti-National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) protesters’ application to occupy the same square, also submitted on Monday, Ahmad Fuad ( right ) said he had indeed received such a request.

“Whether we respond or not, they are there. But I have received a letter (making the request) without an address. How to respond?” he said.

The mayor also said he had received many other applications to use the square that were turned down, but he was able to inform them of the rejection because reply addresses were provided.

NONE “If you are genuine, you put your address lah ,” he added.

However, he declined to answer whether any action would be taken against the students, who have now occupied the north-eastern corner of the square for five days to call for free tertiary education and the abolition of PTPTN.

Instead, he urged the students to follow procedures, and said that if the students are allowed to stay, then the homeless and backpackers would soon want to stay on Dataran Merdeka, too, otherwise it would be double standards in favour of the students.

Ahmad Fuad added had received complaints from traders in the area.

“ Salam (mayor), past two days Dataran closed in the morning. Is it the PTPTN demonstration? Sales down yesterday; no customers,” Ahmad Fuad read out a complaint that purportedly came from a group based in Jalan Masjid India.

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