| Following two major street demonstrations in November, three more public rallies are expected to be held in Klang Valley streets next month.
The three planned rallies will be held despite stern warnings from the government which includes invoking the Internal Security Act - against protesters.
On Dec 9, the Bar Council will hold its annual Human Rights Day march, which Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) has expressed intent on joining.
Two days later, Bersih will hold a demonstration outside Parliament House to protest against impending constitutional amendments that will raise the age limit of Election Commission members.
T he third rally is organised by a coalition of opposition parties and NGOs to protest impending hike in highway toll charges in several states beginning Jan 1 next year.
The anti-toll hike rally has not been formally announced and the date and venue have yet to be finalised.
Bersih representative Faisal Mustaffa (left) told a press conference today that coalition members will dress in yellow to march alongside lawyers from the Bar Council.
The planned route will take marchers from Sogo to Central Market, where several Human Rights awareness activities are scheduled.
The Bar Council is expected to make a final announcement on their annual march on Dec 1.
Executive by-passing King?
The Dec 11 demonstration in front of Parliament on the other hand will coincide with the second reading of the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Another Bersih representative, Tian Chua, said the coalition believed that the government was fast-tracking the amendments in order to keep Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman as EC chairperson.
A bdul Rashid turns 66 on Dec 31. The constitutional amendments will allow Abdul Rashid to serve another one year. He has held the post since 2000.
“In order to extend Abdul Rashid’s term for another year without constitutional amendments, the prime minister needs the King’s approval.
“We think the government is worried that the King would not approve,” said Chua, adding that Bersih was of the view that Abdul Rashid would be preserved as a “tool” of the government.
“Why change the Federal Constitution just to save one civil servant?”
The two events on Dec 9 and 11 are Bersih’s second major outing in one month. On Nov 10, they held their first mass street rally which drew up to 40,000 participants.
O n the anti-toll hike demonstration, Chua said road users affected by the impending toll hikes, mainly from other states, would be invited to attend the rally in Kuala Lumpur.
He said the yet-to-be-named organising committee is targeting 10,000 participants.
Chua, in his capacity as PKR information chief, said the protest would be directed at the government use of tax money to compensate highway concessionaires.
He reiterated the long-held party position for the government to declassify highway concession agreements and impose suggestion by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to acquire highway companies and avoid future toll hikes. 
Watch the 10-minute video here.
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