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Food poisoning cases an act of sabotage, says Bersih

Bersih 2.0 today claimed that the cases of food poisoning, that led to several participants of the Bersih 4 rally being taken to hospital, were an act of sabotage. Its chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said that organisers have lodged police reports over the attempt to poison participants of the rally. "Bersih 2.0 condemns the insidious act where boxes of juices offered to the public during the Bersih 4 peaceful assembly yesterday night under the guise of "support for Bersih" had been contaminated," she said in a statement. "These drinks caused participants to have stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhoea. This seems to be an act of sabotage and an attempt to poison our participants, who have since been given medical attention and taken to the hospital. Urging police to take action against culprits of the sabotage, she also advised participants of the Bersih 4 rally not to accept any free drinks distributed by those not authorised by the organisers. "If they do, we advise them to check the top seam of the packet drinks for puncture holes, and if found, immediately report it to the security unit," she added. Bersih's medical team stationed near Dataran Merdeka said last night that they treated 13 cases of food poisoning around midnight. They told The Malaysian Insider that the cause was believed to be free packet drinks handed out to rally-goers. Six people were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital, including two children below the age of 10. The eldest victim was a 52-year-old. The Bersih 4 rally in Kuala Lumpur continues to be peaceful so far, and police have not moved in against protesters who have gathered around the Dataran Merdeka, which will be the site of Merdeka Day celebrations tomorrow. Yesterday, some 200,000 people were estimated at the rally's peak about 4pm, according to the organiser, electoral reform group Bersih 2.0, although police put the number at 29,000. It remains to be seen if the rally, which is being held to demand institutional reforms, clean government, the right to process and measures to save the economy, can improve on the numbers it garnered yesterday. – August 30, 2015.