Hundreds attend KL May Day rally

KUALA LUMPUR: A few hundred people turned up for the May Day rally, walking from Maju Junction to Medan Pasar, which ended peacefully.

The rally began at around 9.30am yesterday with demonstrators wearing red attire gathering at Maju Junction.

Holding placards, they walked from there to Medan Pasar, where several of them made public speeches.

They demanded the Government take action to control the rising cost of living, uphold orang asli and students’ rights as well as preserve the environment. They also called for an increase in affordable housing and to abolish laws that denied basic human rights.

PSM deputy chairman M. Saraswathy said the Government should create a special “workers’ retrenchment fund” so that workers were paid if employers go bankrupt.

She added that the workers also want the Government to implement a RM1,500 minimum wage and a cost of living allowance fund.

Among the 116 organisations which were represented in yesterday’s rally were Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), People’s Service Organisation (PSO), Suaram and the Women’s Aid Organisation.

After the rally ended, organisers asked participants to clean up before dispersing. 

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zainol Samah said about 250 to 300 people attended the rally.

He said the police had deemed the rally illegal and would take action against the organisers.

“The notice (to organise the rally) they gave us did not follow the stipulations of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. We will take necessary action according to the law,” he added.

In a press conference during the rally, Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar said Malaysians had not reaped the benefits of the country’s economic development since the formation of Malaysia as a federation.

He added that Malaysia’s GDP had increased 10-fold during the past 45 years, after including inflation rates and the population increase.

Dr Jeyakumar cautioned against putting the blame on foreign workers for issues affecting Malaysian workers.

“Foreign workers are not the enemy. Those who exploited foreign workers are those who should be blamed,” he added.