A government that does not enjoy the support of the people can be toppled with water bottles, said de facto Law Minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.
"Salt and mineral water, do not underestimate (these). Evidence has shown that governments that fell in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya were brought down with just handphones... handphones!
"Do not underestimate bottles. The fact is (a putsch) can be done even with bottles, for if the people are not behind it, a government may fall," he argued when replying a supplementary question from Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor).
Lim had asked Nazri to explain why the government accused the Bersih 3.0 rally as an attempt to topple the government when the participants only carried salt and mineral water bottles.
"Can salt and mineral water topple a government? Is the BN government that weak?" sniped the DAP parliamentary leader.
The government has been accusing the Opposition and Bersih organisers of attempting to cause an Arab Spring-style revolution to oust the BN government, which has been in power for more than 50 years.
Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih have vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded proof of the government's claim.
Well over 100,000 people had gathered near Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on April 28 to take part in the Bersih 3.0 rally demanding free and fair elections in the country.
There were thousands more who took part in smaller rallies in other states throughout the country and in major cities overseas.
The Kuala Lumpur leg of the rally saw violence as police and protesters clashed after the barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka were breached.
Gov't to ignore fact-finding mission
Responding to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, Nazri dismissed suggestions that the government must act on an interim report by an international fact-finding mission on Malaysia's electoral system.
"Most of the issues they mentioned were already brought up during the Bersih rallies one to three and were discussed in both Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara," he said.
Nazri added that a parliamentary select committee was already established to provide recommendations to improve the electoral system, some of which had already been implemented by the Election Commission.
While expressing his respect for members of the international mission - which includes lawmakers and academicians - Nazri stressed that their findings were merely advice, which the government was not bound by.
"We are based on the Westminster system. What ever Westminster do we can follow.
"But we cannot take in every view out there, as this would cause a caca-merba (patchwork) situation," he said.
The fact-finding mission made several recommendations during a meeting with Nazri . The mission was commissioned by Anwar, in his capacity as opposition leader.