Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak never agreed to a march through Petaling Street and Bukit Bintang, said Umno supreme council member Annuar Musa.

Annuar, who admitted he is the adviser to the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu rally on Sept 16, said Najib told him repeatedly to make sure the rally abided by the law.

"Najib is very consistent. He told me to make sure that the rally should obey the law, no racial provocation whatsoever, and no marching through Petaling Street and Bukit Bintang," he said during a media meet at the Mara headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Annuar spent more than an hour telling reporters about what had transpired before the red shirts rally, attended by 45,000 in Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Day.

The rally to “defend Malay dignity” was called to counter Bersih 4, where the predominantly ethnic Chinese protestors called for Najib’s resignation.

Annuar said it was him who roped in National Silat Federation chief Mohd Ali Rustam to be the organiser after upon observing the reaction of the Malays, on the media reports of Bersih 4 supporters stepping on the photos of Najib and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

He said that such humiliation made the Malays very angry as it didn’t happen in previous Bersih rallies. He also noted before that, some had made statements to organise a rally to counter Bersih 4.

Annuar said the rally must be according to law and he took over its reins and met Malay leaders, to make sure racial clashes did not occur.

"As a leader I think their reactions were natural. When the rally starts getting bigger, I get worried. Say if even if only 20,000 or 10, 000 rallied through Low Yat and Petaling Street, bloodshed akin to May 13 might occur. It is bad for Malaysia. The whole world will see the country in terms of problems," he said.

'No racist elements'

Annuar said he took it on himself to name the rally Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu and made sure there were no racist elements in its manifesto and the rally would go on peacefully.

He said he and his team had to talk with the rally leaders like Jamal Mohd Yunos ( photo ) and others, as well as the police, and only decided on Padang Merbok on Sept 12 as the venue, four days before the rally.

"We didn’t even have time to print our t-shirts. Everyone had to bring their own t-shirts," he said.

Annuar also said the original plan to mobilise Chinese and Indians supporters as well was aborted as time was too short and "hundreds of thousands" of Malays had already confirmed their attendance.

After talking to several reporters about the incident in Petaling Street where several reporters being harassed by the rally goers at Petaling Street, Annuar seemed shocked and asked that reports be made against the perpetrators.

"No one is above the law. I do not deny that such things happened here and there. It might be done by the other side.

"Of course I don't take responsibility of something I did not allow to happen. I said it before, anyone who goes against the constitution, law and BN spirit, I am against them. Even with permits, the rally goers are still bound by the law," he said.

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