Meena Lakshana, fz.com
Amidst a crackdown on political dissent, Pakatan Rakyat leaders implored about 4,000 people gathered at the field opposite Amcorp Mall to keep their hopes for a better Malaysia alive.
In a passionate speech last night, PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said Malaysians should not fear the crackdown on political dissent and keep fighting for change.
“If they (Barisan Nasional) think they can kill our dreams, hope and aspirations, they better think again,” she said at the Pakatan Rakyat appreciation dinner for the people of Selangor.
“We will show what good governance and moral principle is all about. We shall prevail and overcome this. We will conquer a racist and corrupt government.
“Do not lose hope. Do not be afraid, because the real people who should be afraid are the cowards in Putrajaya,” she added.
Sedition Act
She was referring to the arrest of Anything But Umno (ABU) chief Haris Ibrahim, PKR vice-president Tian Chua and PAS’ Datuk Tamrin Ghafar Baba.
All three individuals will be detained at the Jinjang police station overnight for investigation under Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act and Section 124 of the Penal Code.
They are believed to be held for remarks made at the May 13 forum, the same event which also featured student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
Adam Adli was charged with sedition in the Duta High Court yesterday.
Tamrin was scheduled to open the thanksgiving rally with his speech but instead, a video of Tamrin speaking at a ceramah in Taman Nusantara, Johor, on April 29, during the 13th general election campaign trail was shown to attendees.
"Tunku Abdul Rahman had written in his column in The Star two years before he died that the May 13 1969 crisis was a mini-coup staged by several Umno leaders," Tamrin said in the video.
More arrest warrants
Nurul Izzah said she had received news that 27 more arrest warrants will be issued for opposition leaders in the near future.
She said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had reneged his promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948, which he had announced in July last year.
Najib had said the government would table a National Harmony Act in place of the Sedition Act.
Earlier, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said he was rejuvenated by the young generation of Malaysians who are so eager to see a change in the government of the day during the 13th general election.
“This is about the politics of the future against the politics of the past – a 56-year past defined by racism, corruption and cronyism,” he said, adding he will be launching a Malaysian Dream Movement campaign soon.
Lim said the authorities are seeking to question him over a prediction about BN’s performance in the 13th general election.
However, he also hit out at the police for practising double standards in apprehending individuals who had made contentious statements.
“I understand BN is looking for me because I said BN will lose in the 13th general election,” he said.
“But I was merely quoting reports conducted by the (Malaysian government intelligence agency) Special Branch that Pakatan will win 148 seats but I also said I do not think it is true.
“When former (Appeals Court) judge Mohd Noor Abdullah had said those very racial statements, which was so irresponsible, incendiary and fiery, did the police question him?” he added.
Lim also said Malaysians have the right to be unhappy with the country’s electoral system and criticised Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for saying Malaysians who are unhappy with the country’s political system should emigrate to other republic countries.
“If Zahid Hamidi is not happy with the people’s view, then he should emigrate,” said Lim to uproarious claps.
Redelineation exercise
DAP publicity chief and Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, who received a standing ovation for his speech, called on Najib to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee to ensure a fair redelineation exercise is conducted by the Election Commission (EC) in the upcoming Parliament sitting on June 24.
“The committee must have an equal number of Pakatan and BN leaders to determine the boundaries of the constituencies,” he said.
“We will fight tooth and nail to make sure the redelineation exercise is fair,” he added.
The opposition and civil society have criticised gerrymandering, the manipulation of boundaries of constituencies, as the main weakness of the electoral system.
Pua said the unfair delineation of constituencies was a great disadvantage to the opposition, which failed to take over Putrajaya despite securing 52% of the popular vote.
“Our constituencies are delineated in a way that we (Pakatan) won’t win Putrajaya even if we get 55% of the popular vote,” he said.
“A study conducted revealed Pakatan can only take over Putrajaya if we win 58% of the popular vote,” he added.
He also criticised the Najib and Umno organ Utusan Malaysia for fanning racial sentiments by attributing BN’s poor performance in the May 5 polls on a "Chinese tsunami".
He said Pakatan’s strong mandate in Selangor was contributed by people of all races, as mirrored by DAP’s win in Sungai Pelek and Kuala Kubu Baru, both of which have only about 30% Chinese voters, respectively.
“I want to tell Utusan Melayu, the Chinese don’t want anything. The Chinese only want a free and fair election. The Chinese only want all races to be treated equally,” he said.
“The Chinese do not hate the Malays, they only want aid to be given to the poor and not BN cronies,” he added.
He also rapped Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low for his statements regarding tackling corruption in the government, saying so far the minister had failed to safeguard the people’s hope in him to implement concrete solutions towards stemming graft.
Other leaders who spoke at the gathering include Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) founder Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Sungai Pinang DAP assembly member Datuk Teng Chang Khim, Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok, and PAS Selangor deputy commissioner III (and Shah Alam MP) Khalid Samad.
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