Bersih 2.0 says it is not an "illegal organisation" as decreed by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein last Saturday and that the coalition is not an unlawful entity.

Its steering committee member Subramaniam Pillay said that while he agreed with the Home Ministry that it is an unregistered organisation, Bersih 2.0 is not legally required to be formally registered.

batu talam nominations 170107 hishamuddin hussein "We are not a registered society, we are a coalition of legal societies," he said at a press conference at the Bersih 2.0 secretariat headquarters in Petaling Jaya today.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein ( right ) last week declared Bersih 2.0 an illegal organisation, on grounds that it is operating without the permission of the Registrar of Societies.

This has been used as grounds to arrest several opposition politicians and activists who support Bersih 2.0 and its rally scheduled rally for July 9.

Subramaniam said there was no basis for Hishammuddin's claim, as coalitions were not required to register, unless they intended to become permanent entities.

"Coalitions come together for a cause, and once the objectives of the cause are achieved they are dissolved."

NONE Subramaniam pointed out that it was ridiculous for the authorities to consider Bersih 2.0 illegal, which only proved they were not well-versed in the laws they were entrusted to uphold.

“Something unregistered cannot be de-registered. They don’t seem to understand their own laws very well.

“There are also international coalitions such as the Palestinian cause which has NGOs joining it all over the world. It (a coalition) is not something extraordinary,” he said.

Political analyst Wong Chin Huat stressed that the government’s decision to ban Bersih 2.0 came with ill intentions.

“Why is it that at first two leaders (from Bersih) can sit with the inspector-general of police (IGP), and when the authorities don’t get their way, they immediately declare (Bersih) illegal?

“The decision to ban Bersih is malicious,” Wong said.

|

Unlawful group: PSM activists charged

Police question three more elected reps

Irate Kapar MP leaves court after no-show by cops

17 PAS leaders, members remanded in Malacca

Bersih 2.0: Coalitions need not be registered

Marina Mahathir: Attacks on Ambiga in bad taste

PM: Rally mere ruse to gain power

Cops to probe Ambiga's bank account

Reporters questioned as 'independent witnesses'

PSM activists under EO still denied legal access

MCMC keeping close watch on blogs and news portals

Zahid: No need to bring in the army on July 9

PSM: A circus of violations

Free PSM 6 now, stop the blatant lies

VIDEO | 3.03 mins