Fuel price hike protesters undeterred by police warning

July 4, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — Opposition-backed protesters vowed today to go ahead with a mass rally against a steep hike in fuel prices, despite a police warning that it was illegal.
The hardline stance raised fears of clashes during the rally scheduled for Sunday amid a politically charged atmosphere.

Police were informed the rally will be held in a sports field in Selangor, said Hatta Ramli, a protest leader and senior official in the opposition PAS.

Protest organisers do not plan to apply for a police permit, required in Malaysia for gatherings of more than four people, he said, urging police not to aggravate the public by breaking up the gathering. In the past, police have ended rallies with tear gas, water cannons and mass arrests.

“All along we have been organising gatherings as part of the right of citizens to assemble. … It is always peaceful,” he said.

Activists hope up to 1 million people will attend the all-day event with stage shows and speeches by opposition leaders, including opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Hatta said.

Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar warned the public to stay away from the gathering, saying police would “take the appropriate action.”

“I still call on the public not to attend the rally. It is an illegal rally,” Khalid said without elaborating on what measures police would take.

Public anger against the federal government, run by the Barisan Nasional, is already high after petrol prices were increased by 41 per cent and diesel prices by 63 per cent last month. Food prices have also been rising.

The country’s tense political climate since March general elections — when the opposition made unprecedented gains against the BN — heated up further last week when Anwar was accused of sodomy by one of his aides.

Anwar has dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy by political opponents.