Sabah police will not allow the planned Bersih 4 gathering at Tanjung Lipat esplanade at Likas Bay, Kota Kinabalu.

According to Star Online , Sabah police chief Jalaluddin Abd Rahman said organisers failed to receive permission from City Hall to use the venue.

He added that organisers had informed the police about the event on Aug 19 and they were informed of the decision the following day.

Should organisers proceed with the event, they can be fined up to RM10,000 under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and may face jail of up to 15 years under Section 124 of the Penal Code, for activities detrimental to Parliamentary democracy.

On August 12, Sabah Bersih head Jannie Lasimbang said that the Sabah-leg of the Bersih 4 rally will be a 24 hour gathering from 2pm on August 29.

Lasimbang said the the esplanade was a good venue for the event because of its popularity and accessibility. She said that City Hall had been informed of their intentions as well.

Demand for reforms

Previously, the Sabah police had stopped a May Day rally in Kota Kinabalu that was also organised by Lasimbang.

The main Bersih 4 rally is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from 2pm on Aug 29 until midnight the next day.

This 34 hour rally aims to convince Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step down on grounds that he had made a series of moves on July 27 and 28 to frustrate investigations on 1MDB.

Among others, Bersih cited the Najib's removal of Abdul Gani Patail as attorney-general and co-opting four Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members into cabinet.

Bersih is also calling for a long list of institutional reforms, such as electoral reforms, barring the prime minister from holding the office of finance minister, making the MACC answerable to Parliament and separating the attorney-general from the role of public prosecutor, among others.

Apart from the rally in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu, Bersih is holding another rally during the same time in Kuching.