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Malaysian police break up opposition rally with teargas

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (AFP) - Malaysian police used water cannon and teargas to break up an opposition rally in Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's constituency in the northern state of Kedah, a party leader said Thursday.
Ezam Mohamad Noor, youth chief of the National Justice Party (Keadilan), said some 10,000 people attended the rally in the Kubang Pasu constituency late Wednesday.

Newspapers estimated the crowd at around 5,000.

Ezam said police, who had twice previously ordered the crowd to disperse, fired water cannon and about ten rounds of teargas while he was addressing the crowd.

"The crowd pelted the police with stones. The police action was provocative," he added.

Ezam said one person had to be taken to hospital and the local Keadilan chief had been arrested. The party is headed by the wife of jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

"We applied for a (police) permit but it was denied," Ezam told AFP.

He said Malaysia's human rights commission had advised them that if a gathering was held on private land no permit was required in any case.

Police have wide powers to declare any gathering of more than four people illegal.

Ezam said 200 members of Mahathir's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) had switched to Keadilan and the rally was held to celebrate the defections.

"The police gave the crowd ample warnings to disperse but they did not do so and the speakers continued with their speeches," The New Straits Times quoted state police chief Hairuddin Mohamad as saying.

"Therefore the FRU (riot police unit) was forced to move in.

The police chief said no arrests were made but organisers would be called in for questioning.

The opposition rally was one of the largest since a gathering last November 5 which was broken up by riot police using batons, teargas and water cannon. The human rights commission is holding an inquiry into allegations of police brutality at that protest.

Several smaller rallies have been held since November. Police allowed them to go ahead even without a permit.

Malaysia opposition vows more protests after police fire tear gas

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (AFP) - A Malaysian opposition party said Thursday it would hold more rallies on Prime Minister Mahathir's Mohamad's home turf after police used tear gas and water cannon to break up a protest there.
Ezam Mohamad Noor, youth chief of the National Justice Party (Keadilan), said another rally would be held Thursday night in Mahathir's Kubang Pasu constituency in the northwestern state of Kedah.

Another rally is scheduled Thursday evening in the Kepala Batas constituency in the northern state of Penang, represented by Mahathir's deputy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Keadilan Youth have decided for the next two months to concentrate on these two areas," Ezam told AFP.

"It is not aimed to provoke the police but to put pressure on the political bases of Mahathir and Abdullah."

On Wednesday night police, who had twice ordered the crowd to disperse, fired water cannon and about ten rounds of tear gas while Ezam was addressing a crowd in Kubang Pasu.

Ezam said some 10,000 people attended the rally while newspapers estimated the crowd at around 5,000.

He said the crowd had pelted police with stones after tear gas had been fired. "The police action was provocative," he added.

Ezam said one person had to be taken to hospital and the local Keadilan chief was arrested. The party is headed by the wife of jailed former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

"The police gave the crowd ample warnings to disperse but they did not do so and the speakers continued with their speeches," The New Straits Times quoted state police chief Hairuddin Mohamad as saying.

"Therefore the FRU (riot police unit) was forced to move in."

Police have wide powers to declare any gathering of more than four people illegal unless it has been issued with a permit.

Wednesday night's rally was one of the largest since a gathering last November 5 which was broken up by police using batons, tear gas and water cannon.

The human rights commission is holding an inquiry into allegations of police brutality at that protest.

Ezam said speeches at forthcoming meetings would centre on what he called the abuse of state funds and the plight of the economy.

Opposition supporters would also gather Saturday afternoon in the heart of Kuala Lumpur before making a complaint to police about the conduct of former attorney general Mohtar Abdullah, he added.

Mohtar, who has been appointed a federal court judge after his retirement as attorney general, oversaw the prosecutions of Anwar for abuse of power and sodomy.

Anwar is serving a total of 15 years in jail after being convicted of both charges.

He says his former mentor Mahathir orchestrated a conspiracy to frame him because he was seen as a political threat. The government denies any plot.

Thursday February 15

PM should be held responsible for Kubang Pasu crackdown
Zakiah Koya

6:57pm, Thu: Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad should take responsibility for the incident involving police brutality last night at his parliamentary constituency in Kubang Pasu, said Keadilan Youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor today.

Ezam claimed that tear gas and acid water were sprayed onto the crowd, numbering 15,000 to 20,000, who had come to listen to a ceramah held by the opposition party in Kampung Lahar, Mukim Malau, Jitra.

Kampung Lahar, an Umno stronghold, falls within Mahathir’s parliamentary constituency of Kubang Pasu.

“Kubang Pasu Keadilan chief Onn Yusof was arrested but released this morning without any charge, while another was hospitalised in Jitra hospital. Many more suffered from suffocation and breathing difficulties,” said Ezam.

Ezam added that Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should also take responsibility because the police comes under the Home Ministry, which Abdullah oversees.

According to the Keadilan Youth chief, the organisers had applied for a police permit 14 days before the event, but it was not approved.

“This was despite the fact that the organisers had provided a location of suitable size (five acres) on a private piece of land that fulfills all the security aspects,” said Ezam.

The organisers went ahead with the event as they believed it is their right to hold the ceramah as long as it is on a private land.

Umno members crossover

“The event was special as we were announcing that 300 Umno members of Umno Kubang Pasu had crossed over to Keadilan. The ceramah started at 9.15pm and there were seven FRU trucks and two water cannons at the site.

Ezam related that after a few short speeches by the Kedah state Keadilan vice-chairman and PAS member of parliament Mohamed Sabu, OCPD Abu Talib went on stage asking the crowd to disperse within 30 minutes.

Then, Lunas state assemblyman Saifuddin Nasution spoke for 20 minutes. The FRU had then begun to move forward.

The organisers were at this point issued with a summon by the police for defying orders.

“I went on stage and barely 10 minutes later, the FRU warned the crowd to disperse. About five minutes after that, the acid water was sprayed three times along with tear gas. I do not know how many more was fired as I lost count.

“People ran helter skelter to the padi fields nearby to get water. The level of acid in the water was really high.

“The acid water spray pressure was so strong that the stage almost collapsed and the zinc roofs were flying off,” said Ezam, who was rescued by villagers.

Excessive force

Saying that this is the first time the police had used such excessive force to disperse a crowd at a ceramah, Ezam said the police would normally only summon the organisers.

“This is extreme force and exceeds the limit. The fact the incident happened in the PM’s constituency itself proves how desperate Mahathir is,” said Ezam, who claimed Mahathir’s attitude of using force on his own constituents as an insane act.

“It is clear that an insane leader is dangerous to the nation. The inconvenience to the Kubang Pasu people, especially women, children and old folks cannot be forgiven.

“The Keadilan Youth movement will compile all evidence in the form of photographs and video recordings that will reveal last night’s police brutality,” said Ezam.

Suhakam to be informed

A report with Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will also be lodged once all evidence has been collected.

Ezam said that Keadilan will go on a road show nationwide and internationally to “seriously disseminate information” on last night’s incident.

“The international community will be told of the danger this country is in, being led by a prime minister and deputy prime minister who will resort to anything to stay in power.

“We had 300 crossing over from Umno to Keadilan yesterday. After the incident, I think we have thousands more,” said Ezam.

Mahathir won the Kubang Pasu seat against a PAS candidate in the 1999 general elections with a reduced majority of 10,000 from 17,000 in 1995.