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Cheap stunt by Syed Hamid Albar to defend Police action on anti-war vigil
Malaysian Socialist Party Media Release - January 12, 2009
The Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), one of the main organizer of the Coalition Against War (GAP-Gabungan Anti Perang) who organized five anti war vigil on Saturday, 10 January to highlight the plight of the sufferings in Gaza and Sri Lanka is amused by the way how the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar goes out to defend the police' arrest of the 21 people at the candlelight vigil, saying that the demonstrators were not concerned with the issue of Israeli aggression. This is cheap stunt to create disunity among the people.
For the record PSM and GAP have been organizing anti war rally since 2003. The first was organized on February 15th, 2003 at the US embassy. We have organized anti war rallies since then on the many issues confronting on the role of the imperialist power and on the victims of war. On Saturday, we organized anti war vigils in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Seremban, Johor Bharu and Penang. All the vigils went on fine except the one in Dataran Merdeka, where the police told us that the Dataran was closed for security reasons.
In recent weeks, the human rights situation deteriorated in Palestine as well as in Sri Lanka. We see the situation in both countries alarming and suffering suffered by the common people immense. We condemn those responsible for this violence and the vigil organized is to express solidarity with the victims.
We also believe that it will be good for the Non-Muslims to see the Gaza invasion not purely as an Islamic Muslim affair and likewise for the Muslims to see the Tamil issue not purely as a Tamil issues. It is only when different groups of people from different religion and ethnic groups come together, can they appreciate the human value in any struggle. This is why we did not hesitate to allow both groups to come together to express their solidarity. This is especially important in a country like Malaysia where the people are divided by racial policies adopted by the Barisan Nasional Government which Syed Hamid is very familiar with.
Syed Hamid statement that the people created public disorder and had hurled insults at the police officers on duty and that they were not demonstrating on the issue of Palestinians but actually demonstrating on the issue of Sri Lanka is a total lie. The crowd was very orderly until the police attacked them. We did not apply for a permit because we believe that we have a right to freedom of Assemble under Article 10. The police did not stop the other four vigils held by the same organizer on the same issues. So why the double standard and why the lie?
Those arrested were from all races in Malaysia and they came to express their anger towards the Israeli State but they ended up going home finding that the Malaysian police under Syed Hamid's Ministry is no different that the Israelis police attacking poor Palestinians. Syed Hamid should stop defending the police for their shameful act which has now exposed the "hypocritical" character of the ruling party
Released by S. Arutchelvan
Secretary General
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