Declaration of 'state of emergency, 'curfew' nothing new: IGP

JOHOR BARU: A declaration of "state of emergency" and "curfew" is nothing new for the nation, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar after attending the opening ceremony of the Tunku Laksamana Abdul Jalil mosque at the Johor police contingent headquarters here today.
He said some MPs have expressed surprise at the very mention of "state of emergency" and "curfew".
"There are laws that provide conditions for the government to declare a state of emergency and curfew when it is deemed necessary to do so.
"When there is a declaration of state of emergency, intervention of the armed forces should come as no surprise," he said.
He added that as a police chief, he was concerned about the situation during the Bersih 4.0 rally, that is to take place this weekend.
"If one person does something stupid, it may cause chaos, and that will cause a lot of trouble for us."
He also mentioned that since the rally would take place during the Independence Day weekend, businesses in the area will be affected.
"The leaders of Bersih rally are really stubborn," he added.
He stressed that the Bersih 4.0 rally is illegal and said that the police college would like to offer law courses for pro-rally lawyers.
Malaysian Armed Forces chief Gen Zulkifeli Mohd Zin had said earlier, the military will intervene in the Bersih 4 rally this weekend if the government declares a state of emergency.