Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar says that all rallies including Bersih 5 will be handled under the  provision of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.

He said this when asked on concerns that the National Security Council (NSC) Act  2016, which comes into force on Aug 1, will be invoked against the recently announced Bersih 5 rally.

"What has the National Security Council (Act) got to do with the rallies? Rallies are governed by the PAA.

"I don't see any relevancy between the NSC Act and the people who want to rally. I don't see that it is going to be used for that (purpose)," he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Pressed further, Khalid insisted that only the PAA will be used to regulate rallies.

"We have that law pertaining to rallies, the PAA," he said.

Khalid said that if all rally organisers adhered to the law, all rallies will be a peaceful experience.

"We are supposed to facilitate, why don't you alow us to facilitate whatever purpose that you want to rally for," he said.

He said he welcomes all rallies including Bersih 5 if they are done according to the law.

Only against national security threats

When pressed if the police will invoke the NSC Act if the rallies turn unruly, Khalid stressed that the Act will only be used against any threats to national security.

"Let's see what the situation is (at that time). If it threatens national security, yes, all might of the law will be deployed," he said.

"Yes, if it threatens national security," he added when quizzed further.

Asked again if the NSC Act will be used against political activities that has been decided to be a threat to national security, he said that they will only cross that bridge if it got to that.

"You don't try and imagine things, and don't let people imagine things; if it happens, then we wil deal with it," said Khalid.

He repeated his assurance that the new Act will not be enforced on rallies conducted in accordance with the law.

Bersih 5 was mooted following the US Department of Justice's civil suits in relation to the alleged abuse of 1MDB funds.

Following this, Khalid said the rally will not be given the green light if the demand is to ask Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step down.

With the NSC Act in force, Najib will get sweeping new powers amid the planned protests over the 1MDB fiasco and the billions of funds that Najib received in his bank accounts.

Najib, however, had accused politically-motivated fearmongers of deliberately misinterpreting newly-introduced security laws, especially the NSC Act.

Meanwhile, Khalid declined to comment on the Australian Joint Agency Coordination Centre's (JACC) statement that a home flight simulator owned by the pilot of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 was used to plot a course to the southern Indian Ocean where the aircraft is believed to have gone missing

"I don't want to comment on the finding of the investigation until we recover the black box," he said, adding that the police have yet to conclude their probe.

'All speculation'

JACC, however, said the the presence of the simulator data did not prove that the pilot had intentionally crashed the plane.

"This is all speculation,” said Khalid.

"We can only conclude the investigation when we find and analyse the black box decoder...

"Then, we can come to a more professional closure," he said.

"I have read the report, which said the aircraft plunged at 440km per hour. I tell you, if that plane plunged at this speed, it would have broken up.

"We would have recovered all the pieces already. So, you see, all this is just speculation, don't listen to it," he said.

The plane disappeared on March 8, 2014, together with 239 passengers and cabin crew.

 

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