Price hike rally cancelled, cops set up cordons at Sogo

The police have cordoned off a large section in front of Sogo Shopping Centre ahead of a planned protest against the hikes in goods price this evening.

The event was mobilised by a movement, dubbed Rakyat Tuntut Tiga.

Taking to social media, the organiser said the assembly was cancelled following the advice from Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters.

"There will be no physical assembly at Sogo because we respect the law," said the rally organiser earlier today.

However, the group was seen passing by and circulating the shopping centre in four vehicles with placards bearing the words "rakyat tuntut tiga".

The group started their convoy from Pavilion Shopping Centre which they gathered at 5.30pm.

More than 20 police officers and police plainclothes were deployed to the shopping centre.

The protest was held to call for the reduction of goods price, enforcement of law and elimination of cartel and corruption.

While Kuala Lumpur is under Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan, mass gathering or protest is still prohibited.

When met at a parking space near Sogo, the movement chief Tun Fiqa Mohammad denied the group initially staged a protest on the goods price hike.

"It was neither a protest nor an assembly, it was a drive-through event," she told media.

While admitting she was the Pejuang Consumerism Bureau Chief, Tun Fiqa said her party has nothing to do with the movement and the drive-through event.

Concurring, Fiqa's colleague Najihah, who was at the venue, said she was Amanah Puteri vice-chief.

The Rakyat Tuntut Tiga was formed by like-minded women activists who raised their concern over the issue of public interest, she said.

"I heard people saying they don't know what to put on the table (due to rising food price). We will continue to mobilise more event until the price come down," she said. - Mkini