Black 505 rally to be held at Padang Merbok

Pakatan Rakyat, the rally organisers would submit formal requests to the police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall later today, in compliance with the Peaceful Assembly Act.

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat today had set its sight to hold the Black 505 rally on June 15 at Padang Merbok, Kuala Lumpur.

PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said that the organisers would submit official applications to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Dang Wangi police headquarters later today.

“Intially we thought Dataran Merdeka would be the best place but in order to avoid lengthy exchanges with the authorities, we opted for Padang Merbok,” said Rafizi at a press conference.

Also present by his side were PAS deputy secretary general Syed Azman Syed Nawawi, DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke and PKR MP Johari Abdul.

Since the general election, PKR had embarked on a series of rallies, claiming Barisan Nasional (BN) had ‘stolen’ the electoral victory from the opposition.

The rally organisers also demanded for the current Elections Commission (EC) officials to resign, as well as halting the redelineation process pending a new team is selected to head the electoral body.

Yesterday, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that Pakatan could hold its rally in Kuala Lumpur as long as they comply with the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA).

Rafizi said that they were still keen to hold the rally in Dataran Merdeka but would heed advise from DBKL and the police on the matter.

In a show of support, Pakatan leaders Azman and Loke announced that they would get their party members and supporters to attend the rally as well.

On related matter, Rafizi voiced his reservations on news that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would place the EC under a parliamentary select committee.

Calling it a delaying tactic, Rafizi said that the select committee may serve to sidestep the real issue at hand, which is the fraudulent electoral process and the EC commissioners’ complicity in the act.

“Besides, we went through the last select committee on electoral reforms but look what happened. The committee will be dominated by BN leaders.

“What we need now is for the current crop of EC commissioners to resign and be replaced with a new team, with full power to facilitate the electoral reforms,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rafizi criticised EC deputy commissioner Wan Ahmad Wan Omar for sidestepping allegation where EC officers were bribed by a BN assemblyman to get their ballot papers.
“The commissioners took oath to protect the sanctity of the electoral process. It is Wan Ahmad’s responsibility to ensure a free and fair election takes place,” he said.

Yesterday, the PKR leader produced a police report alleging that a Hulu Besut state assemblyman Nawi Mohamed had bribed 25 election officers in return for their postal votes, which he purportedly used to mark for himself.

The police report was lodged  by an EC official involved, out to fear that she had violated the Elections Act.

However, Wan Ahmad told Sinar Harian today that the allegation had nothing to do with the electoral body, adding that the matter should be investigated by the police and the MACC instead.

Rafizi said that anything involving irregularities in the electoral process falls under the purview of the EC.

“It is Wan Ahmad’s responsibility. He should at least investigate the matter and if it is proven to be true, he should nulify the election result,” he said.