PAS maintains there will be a high turnout of its members for the July 9 Bersih rally, despite warnings and threats of impending chaos from various organisations.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu pledged that its members will behave and be orderly.

“There has been orders issued by PAS president (Hadi Awang), mursyidul am (Nik Aziz Nik Mat) and Ulama chief (Harun Taib) for members to come down and we will turn out.

azlan“Our members will be well behaved and be orderly, as in past demonstrations. If they don’t behave then police can take action against them. We will not protect or defend them,” he vouched.

Mohamad, who is widely known as Mat Sabu, said PAS' commitment to peaceful demonstrations is manifested if one were to look at other demos organised by the Islamist party.

“Look at the protest at the Denmark embassy against the caricature of Prophet Muhammad, which was peaceful despite a huge turnout, with the front of the crowd having arrived at the embassy and the rear, still in Kampung Baru,” he said.

“It was peaceful and we will ensure that. The police or others should not provoke us.”

The powerful orator, who arrived late after having his statement recorded at the Gombak police district headquarters for what he had said at the party's muktamar, said PAS was merely supporting Bersih on its call for a free and fair elections.

Asked what they would do if Bersih decided to call off the rally, Mat Sabu said it is entirely up to them as they are independent.

“However, we will decide on what to do next (when this happens),” he said.

NONEHe pledged that the numbers will turn out. He said he cannot put an estimate but gave an assurance that the gathering will be peaceful.

“I want the police to seriously look at claims made by an organisation on ‘bathing in blood’ if Bersih continues. Such words are seditious and unnecessary,” he said.

“If necessary, the authorities can take action on them,” he said.

Asked to comment of the Election Commission deputy commissioner Wan Ahmad Wan Omar’s comments that Bersih is being used as a Pakatan tool to gain control of Putrajaya, Mat Sabu jokingly said, yes, the EC got that right.

“How can this be,” he asked, laughing.

Mat Sabu explained further that PAS was merely supporting Bersih’s clear call for free and fair elections and that the changes made by EC are insufficient.

“That is why this rally is being held and nothing else,” he said.

‘Why can’t we be like Indonesia’

Mat Sabu also questioned why Malaysian police could not be like Indonesian force in allowing peaceful demonstrations.

“In Jakarta, the police chief will appear on television a day before the demonstration to remind the people and also explain the right routes.

“However, here you have the police curbing the demonstrations before they even start. We have not developed democratically fully, and this is sad,” he stressed.

Mat Sabu said the police was being seen as a tool of Umno, with all the pre-emptive and high-handed tactics.

The fact that other BN component parties were silently supporting Bersih showed that the electoral reforms made by EC were in question.

That is why, Mat Sabu added, Umno was afraid.

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