Groups protest in front of Ambiga's house

KUALA LUMPUR: Two groups converged outside Bersih co-chairman Datuk S. Ambiga's house in Bukit Damansara Thursday to voice their protest against the April 28 rally.

Although the Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council's "pasar malam protest" was called off, another group of 50 youths, wearing white t-shirts with the word Halau 1.0, marched by, shouting slogans.

They were watched by more than a hundred police and City Hall enforcement officers, who were on standby at Ambiga's residence since afternoon. Vehicles were not stopped from passing the area.

Malaysian Petty Traders Association president Datuk Jamal Yunus during a press conference after handing over a memorandum for Ambiga

Council chairman Datuk Jamal Md Yunus, who was supposed to lead some 60 traders in setting up the stalls at 4pm, said they decided to call it off as they did not want to go against City Hall and the police.

Jamal, who handed over a memorandum to Ambiga, said the council now planned to gather 150,000 people at the Bukit Jalil stadium on June 23 to express its rejection of the Bersih rallies as well as to promote peace.

"We still want Ambiga to be held responsible for our losses and we don't want Bersih to organise anymore rallies," he said.

He also distanced himself from the earlier group, saying that "they were not part of us."

That group - calling itself Gerakan Belia Gagasan 1Malaysia - had marched towards Ambiga's house, shouting "Bersih kotor! (Bersih is dirty) and Halau Ambiga! (Chase away Ambiga)."

They too handed over a memorandum to Ambiga and demanded that she apologised to all Malaysians for the damage due to Bersih rallies.

By JOSEPH KAOS Jr and LOSHANA K. SHAGAR

The Star