PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is required to have his statement recorded by the police over a rally on March 25 that became rowdy after the police moved in.

NONE According to PKR vice-president N Surendren, the police notice served yesterday said the investigations are under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 27 (5) of the Police Act 1967 for illegal assembly.

Surendren said the investigation against Anwar are being done in bad faith and were clearly politically motivated.

It was also an example of blatant abuse of police powers, he said.

“We ask that this baseless investigation be ended immediately and all those responsible for instituting it be brought to justice for abuse of power, no matter how high or powerful they may be,” he said in a statement today.

NONE The rally in Taman Melawati, Hulu Kelang, was proceeding smoothly until police moved in after Anwar spoke for some 20 minutes.

Emotions ran high during the rally because it was the first time that Anwar addressed a crowd after the screening of a sex video that he was alleged to have been involved in.

When the police, including about a dozen in riot gear, waded through the crowd toward the stage, they were pushed back. Some were even pelted with water bottles and chairs despite calls for calm by the rally organisers.

Suppression of opposition leader

Eventually, three rally attendees were arrested, but Anwar was brought out of the venue unscathed.

Surendren said the police had acted unlawfully and were now using draconian laws to curb freedom of speech and assembly.

“We note that the BN continues in its immoral and unlawful quest to undermine the rule of law and turn this nation into a police state.

“It is clear that they are prepared to use every underhand and unlawful means to perpetuate their grip on the country and to stay in power indefinitely.

“In our parliamentary democracy, it is the constitutionally protected role of the opposition leader to scrutinise, check and criticise government policies and actions.

"Abusing and manipulating state powers to target, harass and intimidate the opposition leader is nothing short of an attack on our democratic system," Surendren added.

Anwar is currently on the election campaign trail in Sarawak. He is scheduled to return briefly on Sunday for another rally in Subang Jaya. 

Surendren did not specify when Anwar would be meeting the police.

Anwar will be the fourth PKR leader to be called for questioning since Gombak MP Azmin Ali, Hulu Kelang state assemblyperson Saari Sungib and Batu Caves state assemblyperson Amiruddin Shari. 

Anwar's ceramah disrupted by FRU, 3 arrested

VIDEOS

Anwar's speech l 13.57 min

Police stop rally l 7.04 mins

Why are the cops so afraid of Anwar?