Prominent supporters of the Citizens' Declaration will be holding a town hall meeting in Petaling Jaya tomorrow.

This is to field thorny questions on the movement, as well as to gather feedback from the public.

“ It is to answer all the questions – all the hard questions, as well as (to hear) whatever alternatives (to working with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad).

“ People are asking for alternatives, so come and tell us,” Bersih coalition chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said in Petaling Jaya today.

The town hall meeting will be held at 8pm tomorrow at the Petaling Jaya Community Library, and is open to public.

Its speakers are Maria herself, former president of the Malaysian Bar Ambiga Sreenevasan, activist Hishamuddin Rais, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) executive director Cynthia Gabriel, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and former Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

Each of the six has signed the declaration in their personal capacity.

However, the prospect of working with Mahathir to call for Prime Minister's Najib Abdul Razak's removal from office and for institutional reforms has raised controversy.

This is because Mahathir is widely seen to be the person who started undermining Malaysia's institutions.

Meanwhile, at a press conference earlier, the group announced that more activists are joining the movement, in addition to 46,000 who have already signed online.

Among those present today was former diplomat Noor Farida Ariffin, who is also the spokesperson of the group G25 that has been calling for institutional reform.

Asked about cooperating with Mahathir, she said, “No one can deny that some of the problems that we face now started with Mahathir.

“ But we have to be pragmatic. I think all Malaysians need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to reject corruption, because it is now so endemic and so rampant in the country.”