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Saturday, January 22, 2022

#TangkapAzamBaki : To the beat of drums, protesters trek back to Bangsar LRT

 


The coverage of the event follows:

'Azam' shows up at rally

12.35pm: Bangsar LRT station - The crowd stops briefly for a brief skit where a man dressed in a mock MACC uniform is booed by the crowd.

Following this, the man in the mock uniform is symbolically "detained" by the crowd.

Spirits are high as authorities continue to keep watch.

The lead marshal issues repeated reminders to the crowd that they have exceeded the agreed dispersal time of 12.15pm.


The march continues

12.20pm: The crowd rises and, to the beat of marching drums, they follow instructions to walk back towards the Bangsar LRT station.

"If you want to selfie, please don't block the crowd," says a rally marshal in charge of keeping protesters in physically distanced formation.

He reminds the crowd that the police have issued a 12.15pm dispersal time.

During the brief sit-in protest, youth wing leaders of political parties took turns addressing the crowd.

They reiterated the call for the authorities to take action against MACC chief Azam Baki.


'Duduk dan bantah'

12.05pm - Jalan Travers - Riot police have formed a line at the edge of Jalan Travers, preventing protesters from proceeding further towards the direction of the National Mosque.

The protest, near the junction to Brickfields, currently consists of around 200 people. Protest organisers have agreed to not proceed further.

Instead, participants are asked to sit down as a sign of protest for 15 minutes.

The protest organisers plan to turn back towards Jalan Bangsar after the 15-minute "duduk dan bantah" (sit and protest) session.


Mostly young protesters

11.55am - Jalan Travers - The protest participants are predominantly young but there are also a handful of senior citizens. Among them is 65-year-old Bathmanathan.

“I think it is refreshing to see the youth come out and do this. My friend and I who came today were actually lamenting about how most of the youth in this country aren't aware of politics in this country.

"It’s refreshing and (my friend and I) can raise the average age of the protesters here," he said.

Bathmanathan lamented the government's "blatant" corruption.

“Things are so blatant right now, they (the government) are basically telling the rakyat they can do whatever they want.

"I think everybody needs to make a stand and I am here to do what I can," he said.

Predominantly young protesters

11.45am: There have been further engagements between the police and rally organisers as the march progresses along Jalan Travers.

Uniformed police personnel have requested for organisers to remove a Mitsubishi Triton truck which was being driven ahead of the protesters.

PKR Youth leader Ahmad Syukri Razab continues to lead the crowd with chants of "Tangkap Azam Baki".


Protesters in black on the march

11.45am: Jalan Travers - A group of protesters numbering around 150 are marching from Jalan Bangsar to Jalan Travers, about 1km away.

Among the participants is a 31-year-old woman who wanted to be known as Moori.

Moori said she decided to join the protest to demand justice.

“If there was justice we wouldn't be here, and it is a very wrong time because of the pandemic. If there was a choice I definitely would choose to not come out.

"I’m only here because I am sad and concerned because of the direction our country is going. This (corruption) has to be stopped," she said.


11.30am: Brickfields district police chief Amihizam Abdul Shukor engages with rally organiser representative Tarmizi Anuar.

Amihizam requests for the ongoing march, which consists of a few hundred protesters largely in black, to end in Brickfields.

Tarmizi, however, requested for them to be allowed to move to Masjid Negara.

Brickfields district police chief Amihizam Abdul Shukor

-Mkini


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