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PSM kicks off Hartal campaign to dissolve Perak state assembly
Malaysian Socialist Party - July 10, 2009
The Dissolve the Perak State Assembly Campaign initiated by the Parti Sosialis Malaysia kicked off today with the handing over of memoranda to Datuk Zambri Abdul Kadir of the BN and Dato Seri Nizar Jamaludin of the PR by the campaign committee. Simultaneously, the leaflet for the campaign in three languages, headed 'Dissolve the State Assembly, Let the people choose' was also released. It calls for a statewide hartal in three months' time if the assembly is not dissolved by 8 August 2009.
This campaign follows up on the decision by the PSM Congress held at the end of May 2009, to call for a hartal if the state assembly is not dissolved to make way for fresh elections. M. Sugumaran, campaign coordinator and PSM Sg Siput Branch Chairman said that the PSM congress came to this decision after considering that the current political arrangement in Perak was untenable and did not inspire confidence in the rakyat. He said that the delegates at the congress saw the campaign as part of a series of ongoing actions by various groups, including political parties and NGOs, to restore the constitutional and democratic right of the rakyat to determine the government of the day.
"The hartal is a peaceful protest. On the day of the hartal, people just stay home. People stay away from work, shops close for the day... It is a silent protest that aims to send a strong message to the powers that be to respect the people's aspirations. But we really hope they dissolve the assembly. We really hope we don't need to protest," said M. Sarasvathy, PSM National Deputy Chairman.
The PSM is in the process of talking to other political parties and NGOs to join in and move the campaign.
To a question whether Perakians would take part in a hartal, Rani Rasiah, another campaign coordinator said, "Let's not underestimate the rakyat. Remember the March 8 tsunami launched by the people? It revolutionized the Malaysian political scene like no one could have imagined."
The 30-strong campaign committee that was at the grounds of the SUK building had to fend off agitated policemen threatening to arrest them if they unfurled a folded banner for the press. Sg Siput MP, Dr Jeyakumar who had just arrived told the CID chief to stop being absurd and to spend precious resources fighting crime in the state instead of harassing groups seeking their rights.
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