Protes rally: Anwar fires up crowd

Deafening chants of reformasi and lawan tetap lawan reverberated around the Kelana Jaya stadium as tens of thousands responded to the prodding of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim towards the end of Sunday’s rally against the fuel price hike.

It was clearly one of his most energetic speeches in recent times, a fitting climax to the day-long carnival-like atmosphere of the rally.

The Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) had billed the event as a ‘one million people gathering’ to protest the sharp increase in fuel price since June 5.

However, the rally started sluggishly in the morning with only about 500 people in the 25,000-seater stadium to listen to speakers. More trickled in during the day.

By midday, the crowd had swelled to an estimated 10,000. However it was the heat that scorched the people, not the speeches.

One after another, Pakatan Rakyat representatives droned on like a broken record about the ‘evil’ Barisan Nasional government which has raised fuel prices and how the man-in-the-street is suffering because of bad economic management.

Many people stepped out of the stadium for some shade and refreshments, only to re-invade the field when PKR vice-president Azmin Ali and PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu took the stage.

The mood shifted instantly, as the two took turns to fire a fusillade of accusations against Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor.

Azmin alluded to the scheduled debate between Anwar and Information Minister Shabery Cheek as being a mismatch, and said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would be the more logical choice.

“If they cannot send Pak Lah, then send Najib. If not Najib, then send Rosmah!” said Azmin to loud cheers from the crowd.

Mohamad Sabu took digs at Najib and Rosmah in over alleged shopping trips abroad, even as ordinary Malaysians are making do with less because of higher fuel prices and the corresponding impact on the cost of goods and services.

Singer provokes crowd

Punk band Lawan Tetap Lawan went on at 3pm to play their range of politically-charged songs, but found their performance cut short by objections from Federal Territory PAS Youth chief Kamaruzaman Mohamad.

It was learnt that PAS Youth did not approve of the band’s musical inclinations and felt it was inappropriate for the event.

As a reaction 700 volunteers from PAS-run Unit Amal pulled out of the event. They were part of the 2,500-strong security and traffic management team. Unit chief Sharifuddin Mohd Yatim confirmed the withdrawal.

The biggest clanger was the 6.30pm performance by rock band Carburetor Dung which ended abruptly when the lead vocalist Alak (left) was allegedly assaulted. He had appeared to be saying liwat rather than jilat - the title of the song.

(Jilat was used in the context of ‘apple-polishing’ in the lyrics. Liwat, meaning ‘to sodomise’, was deemed objectionable in light of new accusations against Anwar.)

And when Alak exposed his boxer shorts with his back to the crowd, it went down badly. He was booed and water bottles were thrown at the performers, before some in the crowd climbed on the stage to get hold of the lead singer.

Hishamuddin Rais - who was in charge of the band performances - took responsibility for the debacle and apologised in tears to the crowd.

'Inexperienced' security personnel

The press was not having the smoothest of times, as highlighted by an unsavoury incident for a photographer for a French press agency.

He was allegedly kicked as security personnel comprising PKR Youth members tried to remove him from the VIP booth. The photographer, who does not speak any local language, told other reporters about the incident.

There were more run-ins between security personnel and photographers during the Carburetor Dung fracas.

PKR officials had to apologise profusely to a group of local photographers who were manhandled by the security personnel during the melee.

“They are inexperienced and we apologise,” a Protes spokesperson told a large group of irate photographers after the incident.

Protes announced last night they would conduct a “post-mortem” on the incident.


Watch 30-min video of Anwar's speech