Gerakan Youth has offered to provide polls watchdog Bersih a stadium for the coalition to hold the Bersih 5 rally for free.

The party’s Youth chief Tan Keng Liang made the announcement in response to critics who said that Gerakan Youth had only offered to look for potential stadiums to hold the rally.

“We will provide them with a stadium, free of charge. We will find sponsors to get them the stadium for free,” Tan told a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Tan cited public safety as a major reason why Gerakan Youth is going to such great lengths.

He pointed out that although the Bersih 4 rally held last year was peaceful, its predecessor, the 2012 Bersih 3 rally, saw many injured in the process.

“That's why we always say, do it in a stadium. It has nothing to do with politics.

“Our intention is very clear. We want to make sure that harmony and peace in Malaysia are maintained,” he said.

And their offer to find sponsors to hold a rally in a stadium is not exclusive to Bersih.

“We support Bersih to do it in a stadium, and we will help them to do it in a stadium, whether yellow or red,” he said, referring to the colours of Bersih and the Himpunan Merah rally organisers.

“Our help is not only to find; we will provide them with a stadium. Not just for Bersih but for red, green, purple (groups) to (hold a rally) in a stadium,” he said.

And this, too, regardless of the groups’ demands.

“We don't care; they can claim whatever they want as their objectives, we don't want to know."

Asked whether they would support Himpunan Merah despite its perceived racist agenda, Tan reiterated that he does not care about their agenda.

Meanwhile, Tan also responded to critics who said that a stadium was for “football”, pointing out that the first Black 505 rally was held at the Kelana Jaya stadium, a day after the 13th general election.

“There are examples of people holding demonstrations in stadiums. It’s just whether you want to do it or not and it also depends on your intention – are you trying to create chaos?”

Tan expressed hope that all 68 non-governmental organisations that make up Bersih would be open to discussing the matter.

“Last time they said no because of the cost. Today, cost is not an issue anymore.

“I hope Bersih will hold a meeting, let the 68 NGOs decide, not just (Bersih chairperson) Maria (Chin Abdullah)."

Tan said he is even willing to meet Maria to discuss the matter further.

“She does not need to come here, I would go to her place to pay a ‘courtesy visit’,” he said.

But what if Bersih decides to go ahead with holding the rally on the streets?

For the time being, Tan is giving them the benefit of the doubt.

“People should be given the chance to reconsider.

“If they still want to go to the streets, then let the police handle the matter,” he said.

Maria had previously declined Gerakan Youth’s offer to hold the protest at a stadium.

The Bersih 5 rally is slated to demand action on the 1MDB scandal, but a date and venue for the rally has yet to be decided.

Himpunan Merah, which held a counter-rally to last year’s Bersih rally, had also threatened to hold another rally to counter Bersih 5.