PKR has slammed the statement by Internal Security and Public Order Department director Salleh Mat Rasid that the army is standing by to help the police in handling the Black 505 rally in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

NONE “Unless provoked, all the recent rallies held were peaceful and orderly and none of the rallies reported any unwanted behavior.

“The proposal for the Armed Forces to intervene seems to question the incompetence of the police force.

“We are sure the KL police are more than capable to handle a peaceful crowd.  

“It seems the ruling party has once again put together a plot to scare and instill fear in the rakyat who are determined to go out this Saturday and make their demands,” said PKR vice-president Tian Chua ( above ) in a statement today.

He reminded the authorities that the rally was not a political one, but “a rally for the rakyat by the rakyat who has been let down, especially by the Election Commission (EC) who has failed to maintain a free and fair elections in Malaysia”.

There should also no longer be an issue about the rally being held at Padang Merbok, he further pointed out, as the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) had also postponed their Olympic Day Run, scheduled for Sunday, due to the haze.

The event had been one of three reasons furnished by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in refusing to allow the use of Padang Merbok for the rally, as it claimed OCM needed the field on Satarday to prepare for the next day’s run.

NONE So, Chua urged Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ( left ), who previously assured that the ‘Black 505' rallies can proceed if it complies with Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, to respect the rakyat’s rights “instead of treating the rakyat as outlaws for standing up for their rights in their own country”.

He warned the government that “many more” rallies will follow unless the demands of the rakyat are fulfilled.

Going 'overboard'

Meanwhile, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin ( below )today deemed the army’s involvement as “overboard”, considering police had been given more than 10 days notice and organiers had stressed that the rally will be peaceful.

“We stress that this statement (by the police) shows how the security forces do not comprehend the meaning of freedom of expression and assembly, as stipulated in the constitution, interpreted through the PAA.

NONE “The threat to use the armed forces is overboard and we urge the police to retract the statement,” he said during a press conference in Petaling Jaya.

In a statement, PAS Youth Federal Territory deputy chief Mohamad Suhaimi Abdul Aziz expressed hope that on Saturday, the suggestion by Salleh “remains just a suggestion”.

“The rakyat has high regards for the armed forces, that have been loyal and sincere is serving the country, and it is only appropriate that their energy be used to curb crime and terrorists that are a real threat to the nation,” he said.

Mohamad Suhaimi assured the authorities that all parties respect the constitution, the laws and the electoral system in Malaysia, but stated that the rakyat just wanted justice for a system that has been cheated.

Related stories

Rally-goers ordered to provoke us, claim cops

Police will facilitate Black 505, claims PKR

Dissenting M'sians are not a clear and present danger

Kelantan mufti: Those who go against gov't are traitors

UM discourages students from attending Black 505 rally

azlan