Oct 4, 11 11:23am
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the government has spent over RM2 million to deploy over 11,000 police personnel to quash the Bersih 2.0 rally last July.
The minister in his written reply in Parliament said, the amount spent to handle the rally, that took place in Kuala Lumpur on July 9, included deploying personnel from contingents nationwide to aid the KL contingent.
Hishammuddin justified the spending of RM2,018,850 saying the police force was forced to “make comprehensive arrangements to acquire additional provisions such as food and drink, accommodation and other logistic needs”.
“The number of officers and policemen who were deployed to keep the peace in the Klang Valley district amounted to 11,046 including 2,600 other persons who were deployed," he added.
He was replying DAP-Seputeh MP Teresa Kok's question on the amount that had been spent in security forces from July 6 to 9.
On July 9 the coalition for free and fair elections Bersih 2.0 led an estimated 50,000 people from across the nation to march the streets of the capital demanding for electoral reform.
The authorities have been fiercely criticised for its mishandling of the rally, with heavy police crackdown resulting in 1,667 people, including 16 children, being arrested for "disturbing the peace" and taking part in an "illegal gathering".
[More to follow]
from Malaysiakini http://shared.malaysiakini.com/l/faz/177653
