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Armed forces to intervene in Bersih rally in case of emergency, report says

The armed forces will intervene in this weekend’s Bersih 4 rally if the government declares a state of emergency, The Star Online said today, quoting military chief Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin. He said no preparations had been made as of yet since the government had not declared any state of emergency. "The armed forces will only intervene in the rally if the government declares a state of emergency. "If the situation is categorised as a threat to public order, we will take over the role of the police in containing the situation," he was reported saying at an event at the Defence Ministry today. Zulkifeli also said that the armed forces had to take preventive measures if necessary as there were concerns that massive street rallies could "turn into state of emergency due to certain reasons". He cited the recent bombing at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, as a situation in which there were "people who take advantage of the situation". Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed earlier today warned of provocateurs who could instigate violence at the 34-hour rally this weekend so as to make the authorities "look bad" by taking action against protesters. The rally will run from 2pm this Saturday until midnight on Sunday. In Kuala Lumpur, it will be held on the streets around Dataran Merdeka. Protesters in Sabah and Sarawak will also gather in their state capitals, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, respectively. – August 27, 2015.