Speeches start, EC bashing continues

The crowd has swelled to about 30,000, far short of the 300,000 estimate put out by the Pakatan Rakyat.

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leaders have taken the stage at Padang Merbok, where Pakatan Rakyat is holding its Black 505 rally to protest the running of the 13th general election by the Election Commission.

PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng was the first to take the rostrum at the event, which is attended by some 30,000 opposition supporters.

Pakatan Rakyat — the opposition pact made up of PAS, DAP and PKR — in the run up to the rally had estimated that some 300,000 people would turn up at the event.

Chua set the tone of the rally slamming the Election Commission and the Barisan Nasional government.

“Out of 34 countries in the world that uses indelible ink, only Malaysia’s electoral system has failed and allowed an unelected government to rule,” Chua told the crowd which was still trickling into the venue.

The police and City Hall enforcement officers are keeping control of the crowd and DBKL officers were even seen facilitating the rally goers to enter Padang Merbok.

“We allowed them in because we do not wish to create chaos. As long as there is no provocation and it is peaceful, then there is not reason to keep them out,” he told newsmen.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad who then took the stage said the police and City Hall were using scare tactics to keep the crowd from attending the event.

“They were using scare tactics and hoping nobody would show up to the rally. But once the people are here, they are scared, and have to let us all in,” he added.

Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul and Badrul Hisham Shaharin are the emcees at the rally.

Johari, after urging the crowd to be seated, also announced that Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor was watching them closely.

Tengku Mansor had earlier visited Padang Merbok to urge the organisers to relocate to Stadium Merdeka, which was turned down by the organisers.

Bukit Katil state assemblyman and PKR youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin then urged the crowd to camp at Padang Merbok until Monday, the day the new parliament convenes.

Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga meanwhile told the crowd that the EC office bearers must take responsibility for the manner the general election was conducted.

“They must step down,” she said.

“Pakatan Rakyat MPs must raise issue of upcoming redelineation exercise in parliament,” she added.

PKR’s Subang MP R Sivarasa told the crowd that they should continue with the rallies until justice was done.  “We can’t wait for another five years for justice,” he said.