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Monday, June 10, 2013

RAFIZI GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH KU NAN: No more nego, it's Padang Merbok & June 22

RAFIZI GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH KU NAN: No more nego, it's Padang Merbok & June 22
PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will not budge from its stand to hold a Black 505 rally at the Padang Merbok field on June 22 despite the latest news that the overseer, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, had rejected its application to use the venue.
"It doesn't make sense and I don't blame the Mayor because he has to toe the line set by Tengku Adnan. Tengku Adnan has already said Putrajaya will not allow the rally. I am not sure if Tengku Adnan realizes it but he making a fool of his boss's Peaceful Assembly Act. Every Malaysian has the right to assemble, what is the point of a Peaceful Assembly Act when the citizens are denied this right. What is this law for, what is the PAA supposed to regulate if in the first place, the people are barred from assembling," Rafizi told Malaysia Chronicle.
"This rejection is totally without basis and clearly politically motivated. It shows Umno is afraid of its own shadow. On our part, we have done all we can to accommodate the police and the authorities but it looks like they have clear intention to block us anyhow."
Excuses, excuses, excuses?
Rafizi was referring to Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan, who is also the Umno secretary-general, and Prime Minister Najib Razak who had mooted the controversial PAA in 2012. One of the most criticized clauses in the PAA is the requirement of giving a minimum 10-days notice to the police before organizers can proceed to hold their event.
However, in the case of Padang Merbok, Pakatan had already given the desired notice and even agreed to defer their rally to June 22 from the originally planned June 15 date so as to accommodate complaints by the police it had not received sufficient notification.
In rejecting the Pakatan's application to use Padang Merbok, City Hall said the coalition could proceed but it had to look for a more 'conducive' venue. Accrding to KL Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib, Padang Merbok was not suitable because its location within the heart of KL would cause massive traffic congestion.
"The opposition wants to hold their rally between 11am and 6pm, and there is heavy traffic during those hours. Many hawkers and traders have also applied to open stalls on that day, so we must ensure they are given a conducive area to operate. An open space like Padang Merbok will not suit them," Phesal told reporters at his office today.
According to Phesal, the open field had been rented out to the Olympic Council of Malaysia on June 23. "They would need the field one day before to make logistical preparations for their event. And they have applied for the venue since the end of last year."
Phesal also said he was prepared to sit down with Pakatan Rakyat representatives and the police to discuss a suitable alternative.
"We will send them an official invite to have a sit down with us on June 14 to discuss a mutual agreement so that the rally can go ahead. Both City Hall and the police have given the green light for the rally, it is only the venue which we disagree with. They should consider a closed venue, such as Stadium Titiwangsa or Stadium Merdeka, as previous rallies have successfully been held there," said Phesal.
Harks back to April 28 Bersih 3.0 wrestling match with City Hall
The latest runaround is reminiscent of a similar clash that took place on April 28, 2012 when free and fair polls movement Bersih 3.0 sought to hold a mammoth sit-down rally at the Dataran Merdeka. Then, the KL Mayor too played a major role in refusing Bersih permission.
The entire manner in which the KL mayor and the Najib administration conducted themselves over the usage of the Dataran Merdeka field elicited enormous negative publicity and backlash for the Najib administration throughout the country including Malaysia.
In the recently-concluded and controversial May 5 general election, Najib had declared a victory of 133 seats in the federal Parliament versus the Pakatan's 89. Such an outcome was rejected by Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan colleagues.
They warn the highly popular Black 505 series of rallies would be continued until the Election Commission chairman and deputy chairman - accused of helping Najib's UMNO-BN to cheat at the ballot - resign and re-elections are carried out at some 30 seats, where most of the irregularities were spotted.
Malaysia Chronicle

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