Tens of thousands gather despite haze, threats: Tight slap for Najib, EC, police chiefs

VIDEOS INSERTED PADANG MERBOK - Some 70,000 Malaysians from all walks of life gathered on Saturday in a landmark rally to protest alleged cheating by Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno-BN coalition during the May 5 general election and to demand the immediate resignation of the Election Commission leadership.

The crowd, while smaller than that predicted by the organizers, was however much larger than anticipated given the hazy conditions and especially after a barely veiled threat by the City police chief. A late statement issued by KL police chief Mohmad Salleh on Friday night was interpreted by many that the police may turn rough on those who attended today's rally, which is organized by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Although there was no violence and the rally proceeded without rowdy incidents, as the organizers had promised, the memories of how Najib had unleashed a violent police force on the people during the BERSIH 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 rallies are still fresh and this may have affected the crowd size.

The die-hard Pakatan supporters however do not see the 'reform fever' cooling off but instead are adamant it is "spreading".

"No, it is not dying but growing. If you look at the crowd today, most are from outstation with Malays forming the biggest group. You must remember the first Black 505 rally in Kelana Jaya was mostly urban - KL and PJ residents. Now the clamor for electoral reform, for the EC chairman and deputy to quit and for re-elections in some of the seats is coming from those who live outstation and they are from the Malay community. This is a very powerful shift because the Malay electorate is the largest and the rural vote is pivotal," an activist, who has been following the BERSIH and now the Black 505 rallies told Malaysia Chronicle.

Husam picked up for speech made some 10 days ago

Indeed, in what critics believe was a sign of Najib's panic at the runaway popularity of the Black 505 rallies, police arrested PAS vice president Husam Musa, as he was making his way to the Padang Merbok field.

The arrest was announced by the rally emcee Johari Abdul, who is also the MP for Sungei Petani. The crowd took the news in stunned silence before starting to jeer at the authorities, demanding for Husam's release.

"I don't know what this is all about. I was in Kelantan in the past three days. They could have detained me then. I suspect this is to stop me from speaking at the gathering," Husam had told a news portal.

NOON REPORT

By lunch time, Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur has become a hive of activity. It is one of the seven assembly points for the June 22 Black 505 rally organized by the Opposition to protest alleged electoral fraud during the May 5 general election by Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno-BN coalition.

Over at the Padang Merbok, where Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is due to arrive after 2.30pm when the Muslim 'zohor' prayers are concluded, the scene is peaceful and calm with no sign of the violence predicted by Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohmad Salleh.

"The crowd will come. There are 7 assembly points and they will march towards the field," one of Pakatan Rakyat co-ordinators at the Padang told Malaysia Chronicle.

Game changer: Will the people forgive the police, Najib?

However, due to serious allegations made by Mohmad last night, with critics accusing him of speaking on behalf of hardline leaders from Najib's Umno party, the dynamics have shifted. To many, his warning to the public not to come because the Pakatan had planned 'violent' clashes against the police were a veiled threat that the police would be ready to beat up those who attended the rally.

"The struggle has now gone one notch higher. I think by his brash words, Mohmad has just confirmed to the country that Umno-BN must go. It is not a responsible government and puts their own interests before anything else. That so many Malaysians are still taking the trouble to come to Padang Merbok despite the haze and the intimidation shows how serious is their unhappiness," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"That already proves the people won't rest until they get the electoral justice they want. Until the Election Commission leadership steps down to take the blame for the tainted general election, how can we as a nation settle down? What is there for us to settle down to? What sort of future do we have with this type of leadership? Can you image another 5 years under Najib, Mahathir and Umno - just like in the past 5 years? How far will Malaysia slide this round? This is something Najib and Umno have to consider. It is no point getting Mohmad to bark like a wild dog, do you think it can silence the anger of the people? Do you think they will close ranks after this. It only makes them more angry."

Meanwhile, on-spot interviews with those who lined the streets on the way to Padang Merbok yielded outspoken comments form Malaysian youths. All the various races were seen including Malays, Chinese and Indians. Many wore face masks to ward off the haze.

Najib's administration and the police leadership got the worst of the criticism.

"We need a change in government," said one youth.

"The police are talaking nonsense, they are always like that. They are he ones who start the violence. We only defend ourselves when they hit us," said another youth, only too eager to give his views.

MORNING REPORT

Despite the astonishing statement from the Kuala Lumpur police chief, all is peaceful along Jalan Parlimen and the surrounding area of the Padang Merbok field where a mammoth rally to protest Prime Minister Najib Razak's purported cheating at the May 5 general election is due to be held later this afternoon.

When Malaysia Chronicle arrived there just before 9.30am, there were no road-blocks, and while traffic police and an FRU truck was sighted laying cones on the road opposite to the field, the policemen whom we spoke to were polite and went out of their way to be courteous and helpful.

Their behavior was a sharp contrast to their higher-ups who have been lambasted by civil society and the political Opposition for currying favor with the powers-that-be and conducting themselves unprofessionally.

Obviously, it remains to be seen if this peaceful picture will continue but for now, the morning breeze was cool and the sun still shielded by clouds. The haze could be detected but it was no more than what has become normal to the Kuala Lumpur environment, which sad to say, is typified by smog and pollution from an excess of cars and lorries on its roads.

At the Padang Merbok car park, tired out from rounds of taking part in flash mobs and attending ceramahs (mini rallies), groups of students sleeping in their vans and tents were starting to wake up, rubbing their eyes and stretching their limbs.

The hawkers and tradespeople who hope to make a 'killing' selling mineral water, snacks, T-shirts, scarves, horns and the like were already setting up stall. The activity is expected to intensify as the 2pm start date comes closer.

"Kalau ada huru-hara, kami tak akan terlibat (If there is any rioting, we won't get involved," an early bird student activist at the Padang Merbok carpark told Malaysia Chronicle. He and his friends - all from the same university - plan to camp there for a day or two.

"Of course," when asked if that plan was still intact following comments from the City police chief Mohmad Salleh that he had received intelligence the rally organizers had ordered protestors to "provoke" and cause chaos at all seven meeting points and at the main gathering place in Padang Merbok.

"The organisers want to see clashes between the police and the protestors," Mohmad said in a statement sent to the media.

Rise above these petty people - Anwar

Mohmad's rather malicious statement was immediately refuted by Opposition leaders, with PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli threatening to sue for defamation.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is due to arrive at Padang Merbok, after 12 noon, has called on Malaysians to rise above the petty threats and scare-mongering tactics he claims are being used by the Najib administration to preempt the Black 505 rally.

"Having robbed us of our electoral victory, the UMNO-BN government has also committed a long list of wrongdoings – arresting innocent protesters, prosecuting activists and opposition leaders under the Peaceful Assembly Act, threatening to revoke passports, etc. The list is just too long to enumerate. At the same time, incitement to racial hatred and fear mongering is given free reign. The culprits among whom are a former Prime Minister and an ex-senior judge are going about it with impunity aided by UMNO’s main media organ," Anwar said in a late-night statement to the press.

"We won the elections but UMNO has used the Elections Commission to steal our victory. They have cheated the people. They have violated their rights. And now the police are being instructed to issue unwarranted threats of prosecution if we proceed with this rally. To the people, let me say this: Ignore these threats. It is your constitutional right to assemble peacefully. Your lives cannot be dictated by the police, or UMNO or the Prime Minister."

What Anwar and Rafizi have accused the authorities of are nothing new, and to a great many Malaysians, their words are representative of the truth.

Najib's Umno-BN coalition have long resorted to intimidation and police brutality towards citizens whenever the going got tough. A recent and glaring example was in the April 28, 2012 BERSIH 3.0 rally, where thousands of Malaysians who attended gave eyewitness accounts of how groups of policemen, presumably on orders from above, deliberately hit out at innocent participants.

Crash course in leadership for Najib & Umno lackeys from the young

Anwar and his Pakatan Rakyat will surely draw a huge crowd to their much-anticipated June 22 Black 505 rally, but the numbers may be curtailed by Mohmad's barely veiled threat of violence towards the people who attend.

But judging from the reaction of the students gathered at the Padang Merbok car park, the most that Najib and the likes of Mohmad Salleh have won - if at all it can be considered winning - is the small skirmish. They have lost the war. Especially with young.

"Macam hina kami (they are insulting us)," was the response from one student.

The mood there this morning was not at all deflated. Neither was it inflamed. Quiet anger and steely determination were the better descriptions.

It looks like Malaysia's youth will bring out their best today to show Najib and Mohmad the way forward to the next level of development for Malaysia socially, politically and economically is not by "legalized gangsterism".

It is by showing the most stoic backbone in the face of the greatest adversity.

Malaysia Chronicle