Respect Tuesday's High Court decision and stop all attacks on the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has told the BN government.

"Instead, (Home Minister) Hishammuddin Hussien and the BN government should start acting in a more rational, level-headed and democratic manner," Lim said in a statement yesterday.

"They should engage constructively with Bersih, with the common goal of ensuring that Malaysia has a clean, free and fair electoral system.

hishammuddin hussein dang wangi police station pc 2 "Hishammuddin and BN should end their irrational attacks on Bersih, their xanthophobia (fear of yellow), and the ridiculous standing instruction to the police at one stage that anyone wearing yellow, and not just the Bersih T-shirt, were anti-national elements to be arrested on sight," he added.

Following the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling that Bersih was not an "illegal organisation", Lim called on the BN administration to end its "vindictive and vengeful attitude" towards the electoral reform coalition, calling for a public apology from Hishammuddin.

Former home minister Syed Hamid Albar has said  thatHishammuddin does not have to apologise for declaring Bersih illegal in the run up to the last year's July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

The top priorities of the police, Lim said, should be keeping crime low, eradicating corruption in the force and upholding human rights, as recommended by the royal commission of inquiry on the police force in 2005, for their allegiance is to the people.

' Compensate Asrul for life'

Lim also called on Hishammuddin to compel the government to compensate Bersih supporter Asrul Wadi Ahmad, 27, who had been diagnosed to be clinically blind after being hit on his right eye by a tear gas canister during April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally.

He said that the government should compensate Asrul for the rest of his life "as a token of personal responsibility and remorse for the police violence and brutality during the rally that also cost Asrul his right eye.

NONE "If Hishammuddin is not prepared to initiate action for the government to compensate Asrul for life, a nation-wide campaign should be launched to demand that Hishammuddin and the government take responsibility for Asrul's eye injury and be responsible for life-long compensation to Asrul," Lim added.

Yesterday, Asrul, a mechanical engineering graduate, testified at the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) inquiry into violence during the rally and gave a touching account of his plight after being hit by a tear gas canister, which has left him unemployable in the field of his choice.

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