The job of the police is to maintain security, not to decide whether the people should demonstrate against price hikes or not."The police's statement to hinder the people's right to assemble to voice their protest against the hikes in various costs, including electricity and highway toll charges, is police interference in the people's rights.
"The job of the police is to ensure public peace and security, not to make political decisions whether the people ought to assemble at Dataran Merdeka or not," Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S Arutchelvan said today.
He was responding to mounting government action in deterring the planned rally on New Year's Eve in Kuala Lumpur at Dataran Merdeka, the annual focal point of new year celebrations.
“PSM is in solidarity with the organisers of this rally opposing price hikes and are supportive of this peaceful assembly,” he said.
He also expressed his worry over the police bringing up claims about there being weapons and bombs to be used during the rally.
“The police’s tactics do not seem to have changed,” he said, referring to similar claims made before the Bersih 2.0 rally.
Meanwhile, PKR’s Seri Setia assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad also issued a statement in support of the rally, decrying government institutions for “slandering” the rally with accusations that rally-goers were out to topple the government.
“This is the same script that was written for rallies such as Bersih and so on. But allegations that molotov cocktails and machetes were to be used during the rally died right after Bersih,” he pointed out.
He said that the government was trying to divert away from the issues that are being brought forth by the rally organisers, such as the price hikes, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
“Enough of Umno-BN making a fool out of the people,” he said.
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