May Day: Police arrest six anti-GST protesters
Police have early this morning cordoned off Dataran Merdeka - the venue for a May Day event to celebrate International Workers’ Day and to protest against the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Police have early this morning cordoned off Dataran Merdeka - the venue for a May Day event to celebrate International Workers’ Day and to protest against the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST).
At 11am, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Bar Council building about a stone's throw away from Dataran Merdeka - a public square in the city where major events are often held.
May 1st committee coordinator S Arutchelvan ( photo below ) and Kota Damansara state assembly representative Dr Nasir Hashim - both of whom are Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders - tried to negotiate with the police to allow the group to gather.
However, the police have given the protesters five minutes to disperse. Five police trucks were parked nearby, but no water-cannon trucks could be seen.
When the five minutes were up, both PSM leaders led the group - which included families and children - away from Dataran Merdeka and instead marched towards Jalan Petaling.
PSM chairperson Nasir expressed his disappointment over the police ban on the May Day gathering today.
"We have celebrated the Labour Day in Dataran Merdeka for 16 consecutive years, but why ban on this year’s event? We don't block the traffic, we don't have weapons, why ban us? We have the right to gather."
March through Chinatown
The crowd of boisterous protesters headed towards the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), with the Inland Revenue Board building as their final destination.
But about 10 minutes into the march, six protesters were arrested by the police for apparently carrying banners against the GST tax.
The protesters, most of whom clad in red T-shirts, walked through Chinatown, drawing the attention of shoppers and tourists alike.
They shouted slogans such as "Bantah, bantah, GST" (oppose GST), "Hidup, hidup, rakyat" (long live the people), "Gaji, gaji minima" (minimum wage).
While they were marching across the tourist hotspot, some of the organisers were also seen giving out leaflets and their trilingual May Day declaration to bystanders.
Apart from those arrested, however, the police had not attempted to stop the march. Also present were six observers from the Bar Council.
On arriving at the KLSCAH car park, the organisers sought to lead the protesters to the Inland Revenue Board building, which is located no far behind the hall.
However, the police this time took action and stop the protesters from proceeding. Some of the protesters were chased by the riot police back to the KLSCAH car park.
The group was forced to congregate at KLSCAH, where the protesters sat at the open-air car park outside the hall.
There was also a minor stand-off between some protestors and the police when the boys in blue confiscated some 20 MyKads from the protestors.
The police later returned all the MyKad, but not before jotting down the particulars.
5 buses stopped near Parliament
According to Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar, who is also the PSM central committee member, he was one one of the five buses coming in from Perak, and was stopped at the Jalan Duta toll.
He said that he then led a batch of about 200 protestors and walked five kilometres to the Parliament building at about 11am.
Arutchelvam later said that the organisers have struck a deal with the police to allow those in Parliament to join them at the KLSCAH.
He said that the protesters would then read the May Day declaration and disperse after that.
Nasir said apart from protesting against the GST, the gathering was also to state their stand on various issues affecting workers such as the demand for a 90-day maternity leave and to lower the monthly instalments for housing loan.
He said the list of demands would be submitted to the Prime Minister's Department soon.
Eventually, the buses from Parliament arrived at KLSCAH. After reading the declaration, the 500-strong crowd dispersed at about 12.35pm.
Dang Wangi OCPD ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman, when contacted by Malaysiakini, also said that all those arrested had been released.
"There were only about three or four people who were detained for a short while."
Zulkarnain said they were arrested for refusing to obey police order but were later released after their statement was taken. Three are required to report back to the police station on May 14.
Some 300 police officers were deployed to Dataran Merdeka and Parliament building to maintain order.
Suaram slams police action
In an immediate response, human rights group Suaram slammed the police action in disrupting the May Day celebration.
“All of the actions taken by the police today – including arrests, cordoning off the originally-planned venue, and stopping busloads of protestors from entering into the city – blatantly violate the constitutionally-enshrined freedoms of expression and assembly.
“These actions by the police today also once again reveal the partiality of the police, stopping gatherings and demonstrations which criticise the current government and its policies but tolerating others which do not target the ruling government,” said Suaram coordinator Yap Heng Lung.
“It is indeed regretful that the police resorted to these actions in an attempt to stop a peaceful march and celebration of the rights of workers which is being observed and celebrated all around the world.
According to Yap, a 17-year-old boy was among the six who were arrested today.
Workers say emphatic 'NO' to GST
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Police arrest six anti-GST protesters l 7.07 min
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