From Wall Street Journal and AP
IPOH, Malaysia –Hundreds of black-clad activists protested Thursday in northern Malaysia, defying a police ban and jumping road blocks to denounce the ruling coalition’s takeover of a state legislature.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s alliance took control of northern Perak and four other states in elections last year – a major upset to the National Front coalition government.
But in February, Najib Razak – who became prime minister last month –orchestrated the defection of three Perak legislators from Mr. Anwar’s alliance, and the National Front moved to form a government in the state.
The struggle for control of Perak has sparked a bitter feud between Mr. Anwar and Mr. Najib, who is struggling to revive his coalition’s popularity amid racial tensions and allegations of corruption and economic mismanagement.
Mr. Najib’s move has come under intense scrutiny, raising complaints he is silencing dissent in violation of a campaign pledge to allow more openness.
On Thursday, the National Front convened a meeting of Perak’s state assembly for the first time since the takeover and planned to vote on measures to oust opposition representatives from key posts.
Several hundred opposition supporters, many wearing black shirts or bandanas, defied police and gathered in restaurants and shops near the legislature, evading road blocks and barbed wire meant to cordon off the building in Ipoh, Perak’s capital.
Riot police arrested at least 25 people, including four opposition members of the national parliament, and seized hundreds of black T-shirts on sale at a stall near a small mosque. The opposition has urged supporters to wear black as a mark of protest.
Veteran opposition leader Lim Kit Siang criticized authorities for turning the area into what he called “a war zone,” saying it was “most shameful and outrageous.”
Police say the protest is illegal and have secured a court order forbidding people to gather near the building.
Some protesters shouted, “Give the people back their rights!” and scuffled with police.
Turmoil also erupted inside the legislature as the assembly’s speaker tried to suspend the National Front’s state chief minister and several other lawmakers. They refused to leave, causing legislators from both sides to shout at each other.
Police had arrested two protest organizers Wednesday in hopes of scuttling the protest.
LEAVE IT TO THE JUDICIARY NOW. THE COURT SHALL DECIDE AS THIS IS A PUBLIC ISSUE. IF THERE IS A DEFECT OF ASSEMBLY MAN. ONE TOO MANY THAN TECHNICALLY BN IS A LEGAL POWER. BUT THE RAKYAT DID NOT VOTE THEM TO POWER. ????????
THE COURT ULTIMATUM SHOULD BE ….. HAVE A BY ELECTION AGAIN. THIS ISSUE IS OF A PUBLIC IMPORTANCE. THE PUBLIC AT LARGE MUST DETERMINE AND EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS ONE MORE TIME.
WHATS THE PROBLEM NOW????????????????????????????
THIS IS INDEED A DEMOCRATIC VIEW. PLEASE DO NOT EXERCISE HEGEMONY MR NAJIB.
PM NAJIB MUST SETTLE AND ISSUE A STATEMENT TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. EXERCISE YOUR POWERS ACCORDING TO THE RAKYAT AND YOUR ONE MALAYSIA SYSTEM.
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Mr. Najib has been silence for so many issues, he is just god for nothing and should leave the seat soon. We want a clean man as our PM. Hidup Anwar.
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Sometime court controlled by who??
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DEBBIE…I THINK RE=ELECTION IS THE BEST WAY TO JUSTIFY THE ANSWER. BY THEN, THOSE CRAPS SHOULD BE OUT COZ BE A CULPRIT TO CREATE HAVOC IN OUR COUNTRY..LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE JOBLESS AND FACTORIES ARE CLOSED. IS THIS A JOKE? IM NOT OFFENCED TO ANY PARTIES..JUST LET PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHO SHOULD LEAD THE PERAK STATE NOT BY CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL OR BODY…THE FEDERAL COURT SHOULD BE FIRM TO GET THE STATE EXCO TO BE ELECTED OR THERE WILL BE MORE PROBLEMS…LOTS OF CRIMES HAPPENED IN OUR COUNTRY AND WHERE ARE ENFORCERS TO DECREASE THE RATE? PLS THINK MATUREDLY DUN THINK BLINDLY..
THATS IT
AN UPSET YOUNG MALAYSIAN CITIZEN
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NAJIB’S 1MALAYSIA IS BETTER KNOWN AS “1BLACK MALAYSIA & 1FEAR MALAYSIA” ON MAY DAY 2009.
THE MASTERMIND IS DIGGING A LARGER GRAVEYARD AND CREATING A BIGGER TOMB STONE FOR NATIONAL FRONT (BN) TO BE END IN THE NEXT 13 GENERAL ELECTION.
THE ENTIRE NATION AND ALL MALAYSIANS ARE VERY ANGRY, UPSET, SICK, DISGUSTED, DISGRACE, SHAMEFUL AND CRIED FOUL TO VIEW, READ AND LISTEN THE LEGITIMATE PERAK SPEAKER WAS DRAGGED OUT LIKE A DOG AND POLICE ABUSED POWER BY ARRESTING THE PEOPLE, THE ADUNS, THE ACTIVISTS AND THE LAWYERS LIKE A POLICE STATE TOOK OVER THE DEMOCRACY SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA.
THE NEW PM IS COUNTIG HIS DAYS NOW TO BE REMOVED / BOOTED OUT IN NEXT 13GE BY THE RAKYAT SOON.
THE LEGACY OF “RAHMAN” IS CLOSING HER CHAPTER UNDER NAJIB RULE TODAY.
THATS ALL IT !
PEOPLE POWER PERAKIAN.
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how come the umno PM did not condemed the throwing out of the speaker and the police appearance at the DUN Perak? 1Malaysia? where the hell are you, murderer of human dan democracy!!!
if the Pandi Amin is given the same treatment, i’m sure he’s the 1st to cry foul!
the day they killed democracy in Malaysia, 7th of May 2009.
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