‘Authorities’ nod for protest must be respected’
KUANTAN: The decision by Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the police to allow the “thanksgiving” rally to celebrate the non-ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) this weekend should be respected by all.
Pahang Pas commissioner Rosli Abdul Jabar said the approval meant that City Hall and police were confident that the rally would be peaceful.
He said all participants must follow the rules and guidelines set by the authorities to make sure that no outside parties could take advantage of the rally to provoke an incident.
“We (Pas) are grateful to City
Hall and police for allowing the gathering to go on.
“This gathering is not only to state the stand of the people of Malaysia on the ICERD issue, but as a symbol of unity among Malaysians of different races and religions in denying attempts by outsiders to meddle in the country’s affairs.
“The Pahang Pas leadership and its members will take part in the rally, along with thousands of people who don’t support any political party.
“And I have been told that not only Muslims or Bumiputeras will be there, but our non-Muslim friends as well,” the Tanjung Lumpur assemblyman told the New Straits Times Press yesterday.
On Monday, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said City Hall had decided to allow the rally to be held after a meeting with police and other government agencies.
He had said this was because all parties were confident that the rally would proceed peacefully as it was being held as a thanksgiving event for the government’s decision not to ratify ICERD.
Pahang Pas deputy commissioner Andansura Rabu said 20,000 Pas members from the state would attend the rally.