Zahid: Cops don’t know what Sept 16 was about

He tells Parliament all that was known was that it was a public demonstration.

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today shied from defining the purpose of last September 16’s Red Shirts rally.

Answering a parliamentary question in his capacity as Home Minister, Zahid said the police could not confirm whether the protest was aimed at protecting Malay dignity, as asserted by its organisers.

He told the Dewan Rakyat the only information given to the police was that it was a public demonstration.

“The main issue was the suitability of the location. Places like Dataran Merdeka are not suitable because the government had planned for other official events beforehand and holding it there would cause traffic congestion,” he said.

The rally, which saw the participation of several Umno leaders, turned ugly when some protesters tried to break through the barricade that police set up at Petaling Street.