Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim has described as "dirty" the gathering staged by Bersih, saying the organiser and participants evidently showed disrespect for the law.

He said the participants did not show respect for positive and noble values and gave no heed to consensus.

NONE "They do not show respect for the laws which they themselves support in the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, and do not respect court decisions.

"What can we say about such leaders, who drag the nation to street demonstrations, bring hardship to the public, raise conflicting values and do not respect religious principles?" he told reporters.

Earlier, Dr Rais opened the 45th annual general meeting of the Badan Kebajikan dan Kemajuan Anak-Anak Melayu Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus di Kuala Lumpur (Badan).

However, speaking in Kuching, Sarawak, today, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the government does not prevent any parties, including from the opposition, from holding gatherings so long as they are peaceful and held at appropriate venues.

Referring to the Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur, Najib said he did not want gatherings that could lead to tensions in the country.

Najib: We do not want to be elected through cheating

"We tell them, if you want to gather, we give you the Bukit Jalil Stadium, we are even willing to give Stadium Merdeka (as the location for the gathering," he said when when launching the "Promises Fulfilled" roadshow at Wisma Bapa alaysia in Petra Jaya in the Sarawak capital.

"We do not want to be elected through cheating. We are a government chosen by the people. The majority of the people chose us because they know the BN is better than them. That is why they chose us," Najib.    

He said the BN government had set the agenda to make Malaysia a developed nation with the people having high incomes by putting the people first, besides fostering greater unity among the people based on upholding the 1Malaysia oncept.

"We have an agenda that is very clear for the nation. They (the opposition) do not. They only act destructively whereas we are constructive and creative," Najib added.

- Bernama