Rafizi to cops: Quiz accusers, not me, over New Year’s bomb plot
(MM) – PKR MP Rafizi Ramli slammed the police today for summoning him for questioning over the allegedly fabricated claims of a bomb plot for New Year’s Eve, instead of pro-Umno bloggers.
The Pandan MP said that the move today would set a dangerous precedent where anybody could accuse another of a crime without providing any proof.
“I’m surprised that the police (are not) investigating the Umno bloggers who started the malicious rumours because the allegations constitute a threat to public safety,” Rafizi told reporters here.
The PKR strategic director claimed that the police force would not hesitate to act on those who made such allegations if they were not aligned with Umno.
“I’m frustrated with the double standards of police …It’s a very bad precedent.”
City police hauled up the PKR leader for questioning today over unverified claims of an alleged plan that explosives will be detonated during the price hike rally planned for New Year’s eve.
In a posting on the Royal Malaysian Police’s (PDRM) Facebook page here, Federal CID director Comm Datuk Hadi Ho Abdullah confirmed that the PKR strategic director was called in to assist with investigations.
He added that as of today, a total of 1,151 police reports had been received nationwide about the rally, which the authorities believe is an attempt by several groups to overthrow the government.
Rafizi arrived at the Dang Wangi police headquarters here at 11:35am accompanied by PKR MP N. Surendran and lawyer Latheefa Koya.
Around 30 Federal Territories Umno Youth members led by its chief Mohd Razlan Mohd Rafii also congregated here to lodge a police report against the alleged plot to overthrow government on December 31.
About 10 Puteri Umno members, and some 20 from a group clad in black calling itself the “Red Castle Society”, were also present here.
In a statement this afternoon, DAP’s Lim Kit Siang urged the police to stop harassing Rafizi as the allegations are “utterly ridiculous and outrageous”.
He also echoed Rafizi’s remark that the police should have hauled up the Umno bloggers for the blog posting to show their respect for the rule of law.
Yesterday, the police listed four non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as allegedly planning to “cause trouble” during New Year’s Eve celebrations next week.
They are Turun, Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), PKR-backed group Jingga 13 and youth group Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM).
Jingga 13 plans to lodge a police report against the allegations here today.
On Friday, however, Mohamed Bukhairy Sofian, chairman of student movement SMM, reportedly said that its planned gathering at Dataran Merdeka on New Year’s Eve is to protest against the rising cost of living, and not to overthrow the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Anti-price hike movement Gerakan Turun Kos Sara Hidup (Turun) chairman Azan Safar had also clarified last week that the price hike protest is not linked to another planned gathering, which allegedly aims to oust the government.
On Christmas Eve, police arrested the leader of an anti-price hike movement over a planned rally at Dataran Merdeka on December 31 that allegedly aimed to overthrow the government.
On Thursday, the owner of a Facebook page was also picked up by the police for allegedly inciting the public to participate in demonstrations on December 31, to topple the government.
The mass protest was planned amid the various increases in the prices of goods and services, some of which have already taken place a few months ago, like the cutting of fuel and sugar subsidies, while other hikes are scheduled for next year, including electricity tariffs, assessment rates for KL properties, public transport charges and toll rates for major highways.
