Activist Bad Latif Mansor was questioned by the police today for supposedly bringing his 14 year old daughter to the Bersih 4 rally held in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 29 and 30.

His lawyer Michelle Yesudas said Bad Latif is being investigated under Section 4(2) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which criminalises the bringing of minors to an assembly.

His wife Nashita Md Noor and their daughter had already been questioned earlier about their supposed presence at the rally. They had supposedly given a speech during the rally.

Michelle said among the questions asked during the interrogation lasting over an hour today were: Whether Nashita and the daughter were indeed his relatives, whether he had ‘trained’ his daughter to attend the Bersih rally, and whether the two people shown giving a speech in a video were his wife and daughter.

She said Bad Latif exercised his right to remain silent during the questioning, which was held at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters.

Apart from Michelle, Bad Latif was accompanied by his family and representatives from Bersih at the police headquarters.

Speaking to reporters after the questioning, Bad Latif slammed the police for allegedly harassing his family for attending the Bersih 4 rally.

“From the questioning, it is clear that the police are trying to frighten us and fellow Malaysians so that they don’t come to peaceful assemblies such at Bersih. I find this regrettable,” he said.

Investigation slammed

Meanwhile, Michelle slammed the investigation against Bad Latif and his family as the latest in a series of attempts at harassing Bersih, and those who had spoken or attended the event.

“This entire series of targeting Bersih, of targeting people who support Bersih is absurd. It is not right, it should not be supported, and we condemn it.

“Especially when you are targeting people for bringing young people to a rally, because young people should be allowed freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, and this is part of international law.

“So why are we denying our children the right to participate democratically?” said the lawyer from the group Lawyers for Liberty.

The two-day Bersih 4 rally was held in the area around Dataran Merdeka, and featured some 80,000 yellow-clad protestors at its peak, despite a ban on the movement's signature yellow shirts.

Smaller rallies had also been held in many other cities in Malaysia and around the world.