KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - New Year's Eve is typically a night of
celebration, but in Malaysia, some groups are planning protests,
counting down to a year they feel will be filled with economic hardship.
Turun
is one coalition that will be rallying on 31 December, against slashes
to subsidies, hikes in electricity tariffs and the impending
introduction of the GST.
Police believe the opposition-linked
Turun may have more dangerous plans, and on 
Monday night, they detained
its leader, 24-year-old Mohd Azan Safar.
Monday night, they detained
its leader, 24-year-old Mohd Azan Safar.
Malaysian authorities are
on high alert as they prepare to crack down on anyone participating in a
street rally calling for an overthrow of the government.
Mr Mohd
Azan’s lawyer, Mr Ahmad Zamri Asa’ad Khuzaimi, said: "That is what the
police said -- investigating a plot to overthrow the government -- which
for us is very ridiculous; for a student (who just) graduated to
overthrow the government, (it) is a very big allegation."
Mr
Muhamad Bukhari, from Turun, said: "It’s unrealistic and a lunatic idea.
We deny it, we never tried to compromise or (be) involved in the group
that tried to abolish the government.”
Police are on high
alert after news broke on social media of a New Year Eve's rally with
plans to topple the Barisan Nasional government.
plans to topple the Barisan Nasional government.
A special
investigative task force was even set up after someone posted a Facebook
status asking where he could find a bomb for the rally.
Turun maintains that its gathering is peaceful and separate from the one calling to overthrow the government.
But
Mr Mohd Azan is being investigated for threatening "parliamentary
democracy”, in 
addition to failing to give authorities 10 days’ notice
of Turun's protest as required by the law.
addition to failing to give authorities 10 days’ notice
of Turun's protest as required by the law.
Despite that incident and suggestions that more people will be investigated in the days to come, Turun said it is not afraid.
Mr
Muhamad Bukhari, from Turun, said: "We're not scared and we're trying
to mobilise many students, the people, to come and join our assembly on
December 31."
Whether or not Turun has anti-government
motives, the authorities said it will take stern action against anyone
who organises rallies without observing the proper laws and
requirements.
Source: Agencies
Post a Comment