Malay rights NGO Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali's threat that “anything can happen on that day” if Bersih 2.0 proceeds with its  July 9 rally is "irresponsible and racist".

Saying this, Malaysian Bar Council NONE president Lim Chee Wee ( right ) has urged the government to use the Sedition Act against Ibrahim if the authorities think that the Act is still relevant.

“We (the Bar Council) are against the Sedition Act, but if the government had used the Act against Karpal Singh for his statement on Perak issue (constitutional crisis), I don’t see why (the government) should not do so on Ibrahim’s remarks.

“The government must be consistent and give equal treatment to all under the law,” he said when asked to comment during a press conference today in Kuala Lumpur.

NONE “We condemn the racist remark by Ibrahim Ali, it is wholly irresponsible and uncalled for, if not seditious.”

During the launch of Perkasa’s ‘Peace March’ yesterday, members of the Malay rights pressure group took to burning and stomping on pictures of Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan, a former Bar Council president.

Ibrahim then threatened that chaos would ensue if the rally for electoral reform is not cancelled.

NONE “Imagine, ladies and gentlemen, if the Bersih rally is not called off and they go ahead with it - if they don’t cancel it on July 8 or 9 - I believe the Chinese community, many of them, will have to stock up on food at home. Anything can happen on that day."

Perkasa has called for a counter-rally dubbed ‘Peace March’ on July 9, while Umno Youth also plans to hold a simultaneous rally to defend the current electoral system.

'Incorrect label'

On Ibrahim's remark that the "Chinese community will have to stock up on food", Lim thought that no Chinese Malaysian will view this seriously.

He dismissed criticism in some quarters that Ambiga and the Bar Council are anti-Islam, stressing that they are supportive of freedom of religion.

ngo pro selangor government rally 230111 ambiga "I don' think Ambiga (right) has taken a different position from what the Bar Council has advocated. The label of anti-Islam is incorrect."

In line with Bar Council's stand that every citizen has the freedom to assemble, Lim revealed that observers will be deployed to monitor the rally as well as the police.

"We will also have an emergency team on stand-by if there is any arrest."

Lim said he is against any attempt to use the draconian Internal Security Act to detain organisers of rallies.

"The past rallies, including the Walk of Justice called by the Bar Council, have shown that we can have demonstrations in a peaceful manner.

"If there are some people creating trouble, it is for the police to act proportionally, instead of banning the rally entirely," he added.

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VIDEO | 5.43 mins