Ibrahim Ali: Road-blocks stopped us from getting to anti-Bersih rally

Some 50,000 people slipped through police road blocks on July 9, entering the city to join in Bersih's protests for electoral reforms - but Perkasa's supporters who spent the Saturday at home said road blocks had prevented them from entering the city to hold their much-publicised 'counter gathering'.

The pro-UMNO group's chief Ibrahim Ali, who had wanted to disrupt the massive rally including raising the spectre of violence and a racial riot, had disappeared from the public after weeks of threats over the media that his group would hold a raly to counter Bersih's.

A day before the rally, however, Ibrahim had instructed his supporters to "stroll at Lake Titiwangsa in an attempt to show Perkasa's presence during the eventful day.

Now, he revealed that his committee members had largely shunned a meeting to discuss the group's preparation, and the Pasir Mas member of parliament lamented that even his last minute 'picnic plan' in Lake Titiwangsa failed to attract takers.

"Unfortunately, it was not encouraging. Maybe due to police roadblocks,” he was quoted as saying by online news portal Free Malaysia Today.

Perkasa and UMNO Youth had both planned to hold counter rallies, in a bid to prove that Bersih was not the only organisation with public support. While some 150 UMNO Youth members did turn up briefly at Jalan Bukit Bintang distributing free t-shirts to passers-by, Bersih attracted some 50,000 people, resulting in more than 1,600 arrests within hours.

Ibrahim meanwhile conceded that that Pakatan Rakyat enjoyed support and would continue to rule Selangor, as well as reclaim the state government in Perak.

Saying Perak and Selangor must be denied to PR "in order for political power to remain with Malays", a disappointed Ibrahim said he no longer had any hope for Selangor to revert to UMNO rule.

He was addressing an annual meeting of Perkasa Selangor held at Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM), whose vice-chancelor recently announced an award in Ibrahim's honour, only to withdraw it after the news made way to the internet resulting in a barrage of cynical comments against the UMNO-controlled campus administration.

- Harakahdaily