Opposition parties, NGOs protest Mubarak regime
About 70 protesters from NGOs and opposition parties staged a peaceful protest in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur today, demanding the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and an end to his regime.
About 70 protesters from NGOs and opposition parties staged a peaceful protest in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur today demanding the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and an end to his regime.
"This is in solidarity of the people of Malaysia with the people of Egypt. We want the Egyptian authorities to stop their brutal treatment and murder of the people of Egypt,” former PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu (left: holding mic) said at a press conference before the protest.
Agreeing with him, the Islamic party’s youth head Nasruddin Hassan also warned the United States not to interfere with what was now going on in Egypt.
“What is happening is Egypt, let the people of Egypt and their government handle it on their own,” Nasruddin said.
The group gathered at 10.45am at a car park in front of the Ampang Hilir Lake Garden.
They began marching at 11.05am to the embassy gate, roughly 30 metres away, chanting “Down Mubarak!” and carrying posters depicting a black and white likeness of the Egyptian leader with a Zionist symbol on his forehead.
Arriving at the embassy gate at 11.17am, they found 50 police personnel in riot gear blocking their approach.
The police had cordoned off the area around the embassy and the roads leading to it, as well as mounting guards at its gates since early morning.
This morning’s rally followed isimilar protests by other groups around the world sympathetic to the Egyptian cause.
The people of Egypt have risen against the long-time rule of President Hosni Mubarak, triggered by the toppling of the Tunisian dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali by popular revolt.
To date, mpore than 100 people have died and thousands injured and many arrested in the government’s crackdown against the growing outpour against Mubarak’s rule.
Egyptian no-show
Representatives of the protesters in Kuala Lumpur negotiated with the police and embassy officials for an Egyptian representative to receive their memorandum.
Behind them, protesters from political parties PAS, PKR and PSM and human rights organisations GMI and Suaram chanted anti-Mubarak slogans. A few Egyptians, mainly students, were also seen in the crowd.
Several of the protest leaders addressed the crowd with a loud-hailer, encouraging them to shout anti-Mubarak cries.
The police, this time, did not engage in their customary practice of ordering them to disperse, put down their posters or refrain from using the loud-hailer.
Until close to noon, no one from the embassy was willing to meet the protesters or accept their memorandum.
“No one is willing to accept our memorandum. So, on behalf of all the NGOs and political parties here, we are going to put the document into their post box,” PAS International Bureau chief Syed Azman Syed Ahmad said.
Syed Azman said that since the Egyptians did not want to meet them, and considering the developments in the Middle East nation, the group would a more massive rally in front of the US Embassy on Friday.
'US can dictate the fate of their key ally'
“This is because it is the US that can dictate the fate of their key ally Mubarak. They must be told not to interfere on his behalf,” he said.
PKR Balik Pulau parliamentarian Yusmadi Yusoff, who was also in the crowd, called on the US and its ally Britain not to be hypocrites.
“They must prove to us that they really are true practitioners of democratic values, not only for the peoples of Europe and the US but for the Middle Eastern peoples as well,” Yusmadi said.
PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvam called the ‘revolution’ in Egypt a manifestation of the people’s wishes that should be respected.
“The countries in Europe and the US may not be together in this, but people all over the world are united against Mubarak tyranny... that man must step down,” Arutchelvam said.
Also present were Batu parliamentarian Tian Chua, Kota Damansara assemblyperson and PSM president Dr Nasir Hashim, Suaram coordinator E Nalini and GMI president Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.
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