Quell anger with justice, not police, says PAS
(The Malaysian Insider) – KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — PAS told Putrajaya today that it should treat Bersih fairly instead of using unjust police action which will only create more public anger towards the Najib administration.
The Islamist party’s information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said in a statement today that the home ministry should instead heed the example of Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz who told his governor not to resist public protest but to manage it with good governance.
“Stop the anger of your citizens with justice and listen to their complaints, that it a stronger fortress than the one that you want to build. Home ministry, heed this lesson before it is too late,” he said.
Electoral reforms movement Bersih 2.0 was declared illegal by the home ministry effective July 1 for causing “an atmosphere of unrest,” a week before its planned July 9 rally.
“Because of this, the home minister has declared the Bersih 2.0 organisation as going against the law under Section 5 of the Societies Act 1966 effective July 1, 2011,” read the statement signed by Registrar of Societies Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman.
This came after a week which saw hundreds of Bersih supporters arrested and its secretariat raided by police who confiscated hundreds of Bersih t-shirts and other apparel.
“Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein has abused his power by acting outside of the law when declaring Bersih illegal. This contradicts the federal constitution which guarantees the freedom of association,” said Tuan Ibrahim.
The Pahang PAS chief added that the move by the home ministry was simply an excuse to arrest even more leaders of the 62 NGOs that form Bersih.
“This is an early measure to justify mass arrests of NGO and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders under the pretext that we have cause an atmosphere of unrest, when it is clear to the public that it is Umno and Perkasa who are creating controversy ahead of July 9,” he said.
Hishammudin had insisted today that it was not true that the government was victimising Bersih.
“Don’t try to make it appear that we are only acting against one party. From the start we will take action against anyone breaking the law,” he said and cited the arrests on Friday of right Perkasa and Umno members in Penang, including Senator Ezam Mohamad Nor, for an anti-Bersih protest as proof.
