KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 – Police today arrested several members of the so-called “Black 505” protestors who attempted to break through a police cordon to get to Parliament House where MPs were being sworn in.
It is learnt that at least 12 people were arrested by police at about 10.50 am after a group of activists declaring themselves as members of the Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) or Malaysian Undergraduates Solidarity Movement tried to enter the compound of Parliament House.
As police made the arrests, the other members of the group hurled abusive language at the police and demanded the release of their arrested comrades.
The ruckus caused a traffic congestion along Jalan Parlimen. The violent incident lasted for about 40 minutes and only died down after the chairman of Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shahrin, or better known as Cikgu Bard, and student activist Adam Adli Abdul Halim surrendered to the police.
The protestors dispersed and began to return to Padang Merbok at 12.05 pm after Dang Wangi Police chief ACP Zainuddin Ahmad ordered them to do so.
The protestors had gathered since Saturday to express their dissatisfaction against the results of the 13th General Election held on May 5, claiming fraud and irregularities.
The opposition political parties, which had organised the gathering with several NGOs, maintained that the gathering was peaceful but there were incidents of use of abusive language and provocation whereby two enforcement personnel of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall were roughed up at Padang Merbok on Saturday.
The protestors set up 60 camps at the field despite repeated warnings by City Hall that they were violating by-laws which prohibited the erecting of camps in a public place and gathering without a permit.
Today, at 8.45 am with haze enveloping the city, the protestors gathered at Jalan Parlimen, about 500 metres from the entrance to Parliament House.
They carried banners, some of which had words such as “Dakwat kekal selamanya; kuasa rakyat lawan korupsi; I’m a man on a mission, so please resign; and tipu pilihan raya. Rakyat bangkit humban kamu.” “Tiga tuntutan pdgMerbok622: 1. Mendesak Pengerusi, Timbalan Pengerusi dan lima ahli panel SPR meletak jawatan. 2. Menuntut kawasan yang berlaku pertikaian agar diadakan pilihan raya semula. 3. Menuntut agar dihentikan proses persempadanan semula sehingga ahli SPR baru dilantik.”
The protestors, while hurling abusive words directed at the Election Commission (EC), also ridiculed the use of the indelible ink and claimed fraud in the general election.
They called for the resignation of the chairman, deputy chairman and the five members of the EC; demanded re-election in constituencies where the outcome was allegedly disputed; and called for a stop to the redelineation of electoral
boundaries until a new EC panel had been appointed.
Several opposition MPs met the protestors before proceeding to Parliament House where the swearing-in of all MPs was held today. These leaders included Batu MP Tian Chua; Sungai Petani MP Datuk Johari Abdul and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Police imposed tight control at the entrance to Parliament House, and Zainuddin said 150 policemen, Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel and traffic policemen were stationed there to ensure order and smooth traffic flow.
At 10 am, some of the protestors lay down by the roadside and a member of the Persatuan Anak Kelantan di Selangor dan Wilayah (Persada), Mohd Adnan Abdullah, 26, told Bernama he and several other protestors would continue to gather until the EC panel resigned.
“We will try to hold on,” he said.
– BERNAMA
