The dead chickens were by the roadside, but it is not known for how long they were left to rot there openly.

Despite a participant at the vigil taking care of the problem, getting rid of the dead chickens, the 500 people gathered near Dataran Merdeka still had to put up with the strong stench that lingered.

Yesterday was the seventh day of Maria being held by the police, after her arrest on the eve of the Bersih 5 rally which was held last Saturday.

The vigil last night was the fourth night the Bersih supporters had gathered at Dataran Merdeka calling for the release of the mother of three.

Previously, her supporters had grouped outside the Jinjang detention centre where she has been held since her arrest.

Maria is being held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), which allows police to hold her for 28 days without trial.

Bersih steering committee member Mandeep Singh called the act of leaving the dead chickens near the gathering point for the vigil as an act of sabotage.

“Why do you need to throw the dead chickens here when they can be dumped in the dustbin?” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.

Last night’s vigil was the last one to be held near Dataran Merdeka.

From tonight, the gathering will move to the Petaling Jaya library, where a new campaign will be launched to call for Maria’s release.