How to topple the govt with salt and water?

Describing Najib's allegation as hilarious, PAS leader Mahfuz Omar says if the protesters intended to overthrow the government, they would have brought arms, not salt and mineral water bottles.

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar described the allegation that the Bersih 3.0 protesters attempted to topple the government as hilarious.

He said protesters brought salt and mineral water bottles, to battle the effects of tear gas and water cannons, and not weapons to wage war on the security forces.

Speaking at a press conference here, Mahfuz said the protesters had thronged the streets of the capital to demand for free and fair elections.

“If we had ulterior motives, we would have brought arms,” he said.

The PAS leader was responding to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s claim that the protesters had intended to lay seige on Dataran Merdeka to recreate what happened in Egypt’s Tahrir Square.

“It’s comical to see government leaders panic,” said Mahfuz. “This is the third Bersih protest, and such allegations were never raised in the past.”

The April 28 protest, whict witnessed tens of thousands taking to the streets, with the organisers placing the figure as high as 150,000, had rattled Putrajaya.

The protest which was to be a peaceful event turned violent when protesters breached the barricades at Dataran Merdeka, prompting the police to retaliate with tear gas and water cannons.

Over the next few hours, police personnel battled protesters at various locations, resulting in scores, including policemen and media personnel, sustaining injuries.

‘Police broke the fatwa’
Meanwhile, Mahfuz also said that PAS respected the decision of the Fatwa Council yesterday which forbade Muslims from participating in demonstrations that violated the law and had the potential to stir trouble.

However, the PAS leader stressed that the Council should look at the entire picture with regard to what was the catalyst for the Bersih protest.

“The rakyat went to Dataran Merdeka with good intentions, as there are discrepancies in the electoral process.

“If it is true that there was an attempt to overthrow the government, we would have held the protest in Putrajaya (the administrative capital) and not Dataran Merdeka,” he added.

On the contrary, Mahfuz said it was the police that transgressed the fatwa (edict) with its brash actions towards the protesters.

Referring to the arrest of UiTM  student Khalid Ismath, he said the police should have conducted a detailed forensic investigation on the authenticity of a photograph showing a youth assaulting a traffic policeman.

“Unfortunately the police swung into action based on a photograph published in a pro-Umno blog,” he added.

Mahfuz also commented on Umno vice-president and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statement that the organisers of the Bersih 3.0 protest should be held responsible if Malaysian Muslims were prevented from peforming the haj and umrah in Saudi Arabia for a period of time.

The minister said this based on reports that the Saudi authorities were carrying out an investigation regarding the Bersih 3.0 protests held in Mecca and Madinah on April 28.

However, Mahfuz said: “The Saudi government is not as stupid as the Malaysian government.”

“If they prevent Malaysians (from peforming the haj and umrah), the traders in Saudi would protest because Malaysians go on shopping sprees there and contribute to the local economy,” he added.