GST rally: Obey the law or face stern action, says Ahmad Zahid

ALOR GAJAH: The Home Ministry will take stern action against the organisers and participants of the rally to protest the Goods and Services Tax (GST) if they breach the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the organisers were aware that they should obey the conditions set by the Act if the gathering is to be held in a peaceful manner.

"We'll allow them to hold the gathering peacefully but they should be prepared to face the consequences if the conditions are breached," he told reporters on Saturday.

Earlier he attended the opening of Sekolah Menengah Imtiaz Ulul Albab in Masjid Tanah, which was officiated by the Melaka Yang Dipertua Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob. Also present was Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron.

Ahmad Zahid was commenting on the opposition's plan to hold a massive illegal rally in the city early next month against the implementation of the GST.

He also advised the organisers to change the location of the rally from Dataran Merdeka to Stadium Merdeka as the former was under renovation now.

Touching upon the kidnappings in Sabah, Ahmad Zahid said the security forces were in a state of alert at all times as the group involved was suspected of planning an intrusion.

"We have received information that the group is targeting a particular festival in Sabah to create a disturbance but we know it is just a distraction from their actual target," he said.

Meanwhile, deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan said that the planned opposition rally against the GST would not affect its implementation on April 1, 2015.

"The GST is a transparent and fair tax. The Government has mulled its implementation for 30 years," he said at a function in Pasir Puteh.

He added that people in the lower income category need not worry as the tax was not applicable to basic items such as food, public transport, housing, education and health services. - Bernama