As part of the Bersih 4 protest, an overnight stay at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur is to be held from Aug 29 to press for its demands.

In a statement today, its steering committee urged participants to bring amenities, such as sleeping bags, canvas sheets and portable tents, to spend the night there.

“We have arranged for many events including civics education workshops, public discussions, cultural performances and spiritual activities, as well as talks by community leaders, for the rally participants,” Bersih said.

The rally is slated to take place from 2pm on Aug 29 until 11.59pm on Aug 30, totalling 34 hours.

Participants are urged to gather at Brickfields, Pasar Seni, Sogo, the National Mosque at and Dataran Maybank, before converging at Dataran Merdeka.

“(The steering committee) has informed the police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall about the Bersih 4 rally and stated its willingness to discuss with Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar to ensure the safety of Malaysians and for traffic in the capital to be under control throughout the peaceful assembly,” the statement said.

The protest is to demand for free and fair elections and a clean government, the right to protest, the strengthening of parliamentary democracy and to save the Malaysian economy.

‘Bersih4 Challenge’

In the run-up to the rally, the Bersih steering committee urged members of the public to join its ‘Bersih4 Challenge’, for participants to express their preparedness to join the Bersih 4 rally through photographs, including selfies, and challenge their friends to do the same.

As for the ‘Jom Bersih4Malaysia’ poster design competition that started last week, it urged more people to join the competition. Online voting for the competition will begin on Friday, Aug 14.

The pro-electoral reform coalition also expressed its gratitude to independent initiatives by its supporters to promote the rally, including through posters, tying yellow pieces of cloth to fences and other objects, and calls to motorists to drive with their headlights on in daytime.

“(The steering committee) hopes that plans to celebrate democracy through pressuring for institutional improvements for an economically, socially and politically cleaner and fairer country will go smoothly, in line with the provisions of the laws,” it said.

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