Perkasa to hold Bersih copy-cat assembly on Apr 29 to 'defend' monarchy

It looks like the same old, same old from Umno-linked NGO Perkasa, which on Tuesday applied for a permit from the police to organise the 'Raja Berdaulat, Kasih Dijunjung' assembly on April 29, a day after the joint Bersih 3.0 rally for free and fair elections.

Perkasa wants a venue at either Padang Merbok or Dataran Merdeka, and has scheduled the assembly for 9.30am.

"We want to celebrate our 14th King and at the same time defend our monarchy," Perkasa deputy president Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar told reporters after making the application at the Dang Wangi police station this afternoon.

The Malaysian King, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, was installed on April 11.

Republic - again!

Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman accused opposition leaders of ridiculing the Malay Rulers and national leaders during the installation ceremony at the new Palace. "They have lost their loyalty to the country," he added.

Another Umno-controlled NGO, the Malay Army Veterans Association, has lodged a police report on alleged insult to the King.

"We also urge a Royal Commission be set up to investigate the statement made by the medical officer," the association's president Mohd Ali Baharom told reporters.

To show solidarity were the Malaysian Malay Network Organisation (JMM) president Azwanddin Hamzah and Malaysian NGOs Affiliation (NGO) secretary Mohd Jurit Ramli.

Same old broken record

The Umno-controlled media too has been busy accusing the Pakatan Rakyat of intending to form a republic if it wrested the federal government from Prime Minister Najib Razak's BN at the coming 13th general election, widely forecast to be in mid-June.

However, given their stale tactics, Perkasa, the Umno media and the rest of Umno-backed NGO network, the only sentiment they are likely to attract may be odium and disgust.

"Let them play the same broken record over and over again. They are bankrupt of ideas. The whole world is moving at head and these guys are still stuck in their 'frog under the coconut shell' mentality," PKR deputy president Azmin Ali told Malaysia Chronicle.

Azmin's Pakatan Rakyat coalition has already made it clear they will defend the existing federal constitution which is centered around a constitutional monarchy. Hence, the 'republic' accusation is unfounded and intentionally created by Umno-BN in order to scare the Malays into not voting for Pakatan.

Malaysia Chronicle