PKR vice-president R Sivarasa (below) lashed out against Selangor police chief Khalid Abdul Razak for equating candlelight vigil participants with criminals.

after permatang pauh 916 an oppotunity to change forum 100908 sivarasa rasiah In the English daily The Star today Khalid made mention that policemen are not duty-bound not to arrest people while they are singing the national anthem - because if they do so all criminals will use it to evade arrest.

"Are they expecting policemen to stand at attention each time they sing the anthem? If so, what would happen if every criminal that we confront starts singing the national anthem?" the chief police said.

Speaking in his capacity as a steering committee member for Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) - organisers of Sunday’s arrest-marred event at the PJ Civic Centre - Sivarasa said Khalid’s characterisation of the participants was flawed since they were only practising their constitutional rights.

"Such remark is uncalled for especially coming from a top official like him.

"We are all Malaysians and we have the rights to sing the national anthem and he should not equate the peaceful participants to criminals.

"The police should respect the people as we have the rights to peaceful assemblies," said the Subang MP at a Bersih press conference in Parliament lobby today.

Sunday’s rally had more than 300 people attending - before police broke up the gathering and arrested 23 persons. The rally was held to commemorate the first anniversary of 2007's Bersih rally.

Bersih engages new EC chief

abdul aziz mohd yusof Few days have passed since the appointment of new Election Commission (EC) chief Abdul Aziz Yusof, but already Bersih wants the former home ministry secretary-general to look into their demands for electoral reform.

Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS-Kuala Selangor) - also a steering committee member - said a heavy responsibility awaits Abdul Aziz.

"We hope the new appointment will speed up the system upgrade in the election process, unlike what happened when it was under the former EC chief where none of our demands were fulfilled," said Dzulkefly.

The coalition is dismayed that the appointment was decided without consultation with the opposition and electoral advocacy groups.

"The stakeholders only learning about this appointment from media reports is an insult to democracy.

"In most democracies government will consult the oppositon in making such appointment as the perceived impartiality and bipartisan acceptance of the candidate are needed in the management of elections," said Sivarasa.

y4c nep forum 180107 dzulkefly ahmad The director of PAS research centre said the unilateral decision shows that "the arrogant style is still intact".

"But it is okay, as long as the new EC chief makes an obvious effort for electoral reform in the general elections to come," Dzulkefly said.

Also present in the press conference were Dr Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan), Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) and Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera).

The basic demands of the coalition to Abdul Aziz include:

1) A comprehensive overhaul of the electoral roll

2) The abolition of postal voting for the armed forces and their spouses

3) The use of indelible ink

4) Fair access to the media

5) Campaign period of at least 21 days

Abdul Aziz starts after present EC chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman retires upon turning 66 on Dec 30.

Police ‘had done nothing wrong’

In a separate press conference held earlier, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung defended the police, saying they "had not done anything wrong" when dispersing the crowd that night.

mca new cabinet member 180308 chor chee heung "It does not matter even if the national anthem is being played. If robbers are running around, the police still have to do their job.

"It is not that they are not respecting the national anthem but because their job is paramount important in the country, isn’t it?," said Chor.

He believes the police were not in the wrong, since it was an illegal assembly.

"If the police feel it (the assembly) might turn unruly, causing a breach in peace, then the police have to act," he said.

When pressed further on why it was necessary to act against the participants since they were only singing the national anthem, he replied: "If there is an illegal assembly, who can tell what is going to happen?"