Protesters at the #KitaLawan rally shared a light moment in front of the Dang Wangi police headquarters when they were greeted by waving Opposition leaders currently detained there.
Nicholas Cheng | The Star/Asia News Network | Saturday, Mar 28, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR – Protesters at the #KitaLawan rally shared a light moment in front of the Dang Wangi police headquarters when they were greeted by waving Opposition leaders currently detained there.
PKR vice president Tian Chua and PAS deputy president Mat Sabu peeked out the window several levels up at the police building and waved slowly as the group of protesters marched through Jalan Dang Wangi.
Also present were Simpang Pulai ADUN Tan Kar Hing and Teja ADUN Chan Lih Kang, who were detained during a sit in protest in Dataran Merdeka on Friday morning.
The waving MPs and ADUNs immediately caught the attention of the singing crowd, who cheered loudly and waved back, shouting “Reformasi” and “Bebas, bebas”.
This took place despite a warning issued by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar on Friday.
On Friday, Khalid threw down the gauntlet, saying that the pro-Opposition rally will not be allowed to assemble anywhere.
He hinted at massive crackdowns should they continue.
“I am reminding people not to take part. If they continue, we are going to arrest all involved,” the top cop said.
Khalid said police were not against assembly or protests, but added that the group had “crossed the line” and was disrupting the peace and surrounding businesses.
However, the protesters moved ahead onto Jalan Tun Razak without incident.
Police presence at the fringes of the crowd were limited and directed at stopping traffic at busy junctions as the protesters moved through.
However, a Dang Wangi Deputy Supt told reporters that a barricade would be set up near the Public Bank building in Jalan Ampang, just before the protesters’ intended destination of KLCC.
The protest has been staged weekly since February, after Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to five years in jail by the Federal Court for sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Since then, the police have launched a dragnet of arrests on Opposition leaders involved in the rallies – including Opposition members of Parliament, state assemblymen and human rights activists.
Those arrested include PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli, PKR vice-president Tian Chua, PAS deputy president Mat Sabu, PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and DAP Socialist Youth chairman Teo Kok Seong.
Other arrested politicians and activists are Simpang Pulai ADUN Tan Kar Hing, Teja ADUN Chan Lih Kang, activist Hishammuddin Rais, PKR Kelana Jaya Youth chief Saifullah Zulkifli, PAS Youth treasurer Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar and Jingga 13 coordinator Fariz Musa.