Anwar's ceramah disrupted again - Malaysiakini

For the second successive night, a ceramah by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim was disrupted by the police - this time in Bukit Gantang, Perak.

MCPX

Last night, a Pakatan Rakyat ceramah held at the PAS headquarters in Sungai Tinggi in Bukit Gantang ended when about 200 riot police waded into sections of the 5,000 crowd, ordering them to disperse.

Anwar was arriving at the veneu for his speech when the police intervened to end the ceramah.

The pattern of police intervention was similar to Monday night in Bukit Selambau in neighbouring Kedah when a much larger contingent of police broke up the ceramah by firing tear gas and chemical spray into the crowd (left). Thirty-one were arrested.

However, no arrests were made in Sungai Tinggi last night and the crowd eventually dispersed without any incident.

Besides Anwar, the other key speaker was Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, the ousted Perak menteri besar who is PAS candidate for the April 7 parliamentary by-election in Bukit Gantang.

Also slated to speak were DAP Hutan Melintang state assemblyman S Kesavan and PKR MP for Gopeng, Dr Lee Boon Chai.

PKR secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim has denounced the “repression which is now slyly seeking legitimacy”.

He lamented that such police crackdown on peaceful assemblies are becoming the pattern of the norm.

Cops bent on breaking up ceramah

In remarks made to Malaysiakini today, Salehuddin said the authorities are bent on disrupting ceramah organised by the opposition on the flimsy pretext that campaigning can only begin for the Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai by-elections after nomination day on March 29.

“They are trying to shackle the opposition to a tight time zone to curtail our ability to communicate our message of political change. Coupled with the banning of Suara Keadilan and Harakah, they hope to weary us into submission,” he said.

On Monday, the Home Ministry notified both PAS and PKR of a three-month ban on their party organs, Harakah and Suara Keadilan, respectively. The reason given was that the publications incited hatred of the government.

“The pattern of repression is now clear. Ban the newsletters, disrupt the ceramah, arrest when you feel like it – do all these as if it is business as usual,” said Salehuddin.

“They are trying to legitimise their repressive tactics by pretending it is the norm. Trot out the usual pattern of intervention and when necessary, round up the usual suspects – that seems to be the pattern,” he commented.

“As usual, they are misjudging the mood of the people. The rakyat can see through the sham of their repeated calls of the need to change simply because in their conduct, they are reflexively the same as they have long been – tired, old, obsolete and bankrupt,” said Salehuddin.