Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has clarified that the official Merdeka Day celebration at the Bukit Jalil stadium on Friday is open to the public.

This comes just hours after top ministry officers said only invited individuals will be allowed to enter the venue.

"Public are invited to Bukit Jalil National Stadium to celebrate 55th Merdeka rally on the night of Aug 31.

NONE "The allegation made by certain people that the Merdeka 55 gathering at Bukit Jalil will be only for invitees is not true," Rais ( left ) responded on his Twitter account late last night when asked about ministry secretary-general Kamaruddin Siaraf's statement yesterday.

"It is deplorable for certain opposition leader to try to foil what is to be the rakyat's right to commemorate nation's 55th birthday," he said further on the micro-blogging website this morning.

However, Rais did not name either the "certain people" who made the allegation or the "opposition leader" whom he criticised.

He also did not elaborate whether members of public would be allowed into the stadium where the programmes will be staged, and whether there would be seats for the people.

Kamaruddin had told a press conference yesterday that members of the public could witness the Merdeka spectacle on four screens outside the stadium as the seats inside are for VIPs, BN component party members, civil servants, schoolchildren and other specially-picked groups.

NONE He said opposition leaders have not been invited into the stadium, but could join the crowd outside.

Kamaruddin explained that the omission from the invitation list was due to the fact that the opposition was "not interested" in the federal government's Merdeka Day celebrations and had even rejected the original logo ( right ) for the event.

Later, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang admitted that he is the 'opposition leader' slammed by Rais.

“Rais need not be so coy. He can name me as the one who responded to the Malaysiakini report on the Malaysian Twitterverse,” Lim said in a statement today.

dap lim kit siang interview rebut may 13 01 Lim said he had described on Twitter yesterday that the invite-only celebration is “scandalous”, “outrageous” and “a set-back for nation-building”.

“If I am wrong or mistaken, I am prepared to retract and apologise as I have no intention to spoil, foil or sabotage the Merdeka Day bash planned by the BN government at Bukit Jalil Stadium...

“I strongly disagree with the manner in which the BN is hijacking the celebrations, causing even greater division and dissension among Malaysians."

He said Rais' comments have prompted him to revisit the Malaysiakini report as well as his Twitter messages, and he found he made no mistake.

 

“There is no denial or retraction of the statement attributed to Kamaruddin Siaraf that members of the public can only witness the 55th Merdeka Day 'bash' from four screens outside the Bukit Jalil stadium.

 

“This has been further confirmed by the seating arrangement released by Kamaruddin yesterday.”

Hence Lim has decided to stand by his Twitter messages yesterday, saying that the Najib administration has never heard or understood the statement 'The People Are the Boss' in a parliamentary democracy.

 

“How much would the Merdeka Day bash at Bukit Jalil stadium cost? Would BN pay for the bash from the BN coffers?

 

“As the Malaysian taxpayers will have to pay for the Merdeka Day bash at Bukit Jalil stadium, how can the Malaysian public be treated as 'outsiders', relegated to outside the stadium to watch from four screens? They might as well stay at home to watch the live telecast instead!” he added.

Pakatan leaders at own event

PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution said that, while Pakatan is "with the rakyat", it will not attend the event by joining them outside the stadium.

NONE He added that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (left) and other top Pakatan leaders will be at the Selangor government's National Day celebration at Dataran Kemerdekaan, Shah Alam on Aug 30.

Pakatan will hold its Malaysia Day celebration at the Putatan-Penampang border in Sabah on Sept 15, and in Kuching the following day.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua said opposition MPs have been invited to attend the official National Day parade on Aug 31 morning.

"There is no instruction on this, so MPs can decide to go if they want. Anwar is scheduled to attend another programme." he said.