Tun Faisal: Protest marches to continue until grievances are heard

KUALA LUMPUR: Hot weather and a slight hiccup in assembly location did little to hinder the “white shirts” marching in protest.

At around 11.30am, members of the media assembled at Majid Jamek in Kampung Baru, which was originally the point of origin for the Save Malaysia rally yesterday.

A noticeable police presence was felt at Masjid Jamek, with the bulk of the forces on standby near Sogo Kuala Lumpur.

However, it took longer than expected for participants to arrive, with many only arriving after the zohor prayers concluded.It was originally thought that all would meet at the mosque to pray before making their way, but it is known that some had made their way to the shopping complex early, with others grouping in Bukit Bintang.

Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, told the crowd that they were not an assembly, but were merely “marching” to the Dang Wangi police headquarters to lodge a report against Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“This is not an assembly and I urge all to be calm,” he said.

Once the white T-shirt-clad participants were organised, the group walked towards Sogo, with police walking alongside them to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

Shouts of “Refor-mati” and “Dakwa Zahid” (charge Zahid) echoed through the streets as the group started their march at 2pm.

While the march went smoothly, disgruntled motorists were seen using their horns and visibly groaning at the temporary road “closure” as police halted traffic to allow the group to pass a main intersection.

At the same time, a delegation, including Muafakat Nasional supreme council member Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, left to the Dang Wangi police headquarters to file a report against the Deputy Prime Minister.

Over at Sogo, the assembly continued with speakers giving speeches, urging among others, for the separation of executive powers for the Attorney General’s Chambers and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Also spotted in the crowd were Mersing MP Muhammad Islahuddin Abas as well as Seberang Jaya and Taman Medan state state assemblymen Izhar Shah Arif Shah and Dr Afif Bahardin.

Under police observation, the gathering finally concluded peacefully at around 3.30pm with all ending the day by singing Negaraku in front of Sogo.

Speaking to the media after the gathering’s conclusion, Bersatu information chief Datuk Razali Idris said that before anyone criticises the group for marching on Malaysia Day, they should also remember history, referencing the then Pakatan Rakyat alluding in 2008 that they would take over the Federal Government by Sept 16.

“He said then he had the numbers which meant that he was going to bring down the ruling government on that date.

“God willing, next week we will go down to Permatang Pauh and Bagan Datuk which are two strong forts for the Prime Minister and his deputy,” he said.

Tun Faisal said that this was just the start of a bigger movement, with more marches planned.“If he doesn’t get charged again, we will march. If our police report does not get investigated, we will march,” he said.