KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — Organisers of the Himpunan Pertahanan Kedaulatan Islam rally will go ahead with the planned demonstration tomorrow, claiming to have received approval from the district police.
According to Aminuddin Yahaya, chairman of Gerakan Pembela Ummah (Ummah), the approval came with the condition that the rally was not used to stir up negative views.
He told Malay Mail the demonstration is set to go ahead as planned from 2pm to 6pm.
He said representatives from his movement had a meeting with Dang Wangi district police yesterday evening, where the approval from the enforcers soon followed.
“Police just informed us not to incite other religions or races.
“We expect a crowd of around 5,000 to 10,000, but we never know as the response is so good from the rakyat,” he told Malay Mail, adding that heads of NGOs are expected to deliver speeches tomorrow.
Ummah is one of the organisers for the rally.
Aminuddin added that the police’s approval letter giving the go-ahead for the rally was received by the body today following their meeting yesterday.
Among the issues the rally aims at protesting is the stance of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government who have been blamed for apparently sidelining the Malay community and challenging the sovereignty of Islam.
The rally also plans to raise issues pertaining to the Roman Statute, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), PH’s stance on the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) and Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI), and the untimely death of fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim during riots at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Seafield last November.
It plans for participants to gather at Masjid Jamek in the city centre for Zohor prayers, where they will then march to the Sogo shopping complex along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman where speeches and a ‘people’s declaration’ will be recited, before dispersing at 6pm.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday advised those looking to attend the rally not to fall for the propaganda of certain quarters who he claimed would purposely fan racial and religious sentiments at the rally.
Meanwhile, English daily The Star quoted Dang Wangi district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Fahmi Visuvanathan Abdullah who confirmed the meeting between organisers and the police.
He said the approval was given after all requirements under the Peaceful Assembly Act were met.
The report quoted Mohd Fahmi as assuring the public that sufficient numbers of police personnel would be on the ground to ensure public order.
“We will also facilitate traffic for the convenience of other road users as such gatherings are bound to cause some congestion,” he said in the report.
He also said he hoped all those attending the rally would adhere to the law and rules set during the police’s meeting with organisers, and that the rally would go on without any unwanted incidents.
