FORMER Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today there is evidence that the Bersih 2.0 steering committee, in organising a 2012 rally, aimed to topple the government.

The then top cop said the Bersih 3.0 rally, held on April 28, 2012, was initially aimed at ensuring clean and fair elections, but turned unruly and got out of control, resulting in damage to government property.

“Their (participants’) objective was clear: to topple the government through other means,” he said during examination-in-chief by lawyer Mohamed Nasser Yusof, representing Sungai Besar Umno leader Jamal Md Yunos in a defamation suit filed by former Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah.

Asked by lawyer N. Surendran, representing Maria, to provide proof, Khalid said the action of holding a large gathering and inciting the public was evidence of this.

“That is not the way to assemble, by saying that elections in the country are not clean and giving politically charged speeches.”

He said Maria, who was the rally organiser, neither respected the law nor heeded the advice by authorities during the event.

He said Maria had been investigated under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 in 2015 after police got information that the electoral watchdog received foreign funding, and agreed with Surendran that she had been released without conditions.

Maria filed the suit on October 7, 2016, claiming that Jamal, who is also the leader of the Red Shirts movement, had slandered her during a press conference outside the Putra World Trade Centre on September 28 that year.

In her statement of claim, Maria said Jamal had issued defamatory statements on two occasions.

The first time was at the press conference within the grounds of PWTC on September 28, 2016, and the second time was at the Bukit Aman federal police headquarters on October 4 that year.

She said the defamatory statements, published in newspapers and news portals, had tarnished her reputation and good name.

The hearing continues before judge Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab today. – Bernama, March 7, 2018.