Bersih 3.0 rally peaceful, Tun M tells court (Updated)

KUALA LUMPUR: Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad told the high Court, here, that the atmosphere during Bersih 4 and 5 rallies in 2015 and 2016 respectively, were peaceful.
Testifying at the defamation suit trial brought by Maria Chin Abdullah against Sungai Besar Umno division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos in relation to the Bersih 3.0 rally, Mahathir said when he had participated in the Bersih 5 rally, he realised that the organisers and participants were not there to cause chaos.
"In fact they (Bersih 5 organisers and participants) were so prepared to collect rubbish during the rally," he said during cross-examination by the plaintiff's counsel N. Surendran.

When asked by the defendant's counsel Mohamed Nasser Yusof, Mahathir also said that his previous statements published in the media which condemned Bersih 2.0 for organising such rallies was his opinion at that point of time.
"I made those statements at that point of time based on my experience and the advice of the police in the past."
He also told the High Court that the 106 people who were arrested under Ops Lalang in 1987 was done in his capacity as the Home Minister and Prime Minister under the advice of the police.
Based on the government's White Paper on Ops Lalang tabled in Parliament in 1988 which was presented to the court, Mahathir confirmed the arrest of Maria's late husband Yusuf Lebai Ali under the now defunct Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960 following the advice of the police.
Earlier, former Inspector–General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar told the High Court that the Bersih 3.0 rally organised by Maria in 2012 was a "mass protest to topple the government using the streets".
Khalid said he was the deputy IGP when the rally took place on April 28, 2012.
"The rally was marred by chaos, instances of assault and violence as well as destruction and vandalism of government property.
"The assembly which was said to be peaceful was not conducted in a peaceful manner," he told the court when questioned by Mohamed Nasser.
When cross-examined by Surendran on whether the 2012 rally was peaceful overall, Khalid said it was only peaceful due to the intervention of the police.
"There were no threats during Bersih 3.0. That was because the threats were neutralised by the authorities," he said.