Former deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah today waded into the discourse over the price hike rally tomorrow which allegedly is being held to ‘topple the government’, by curtly stating that toppling the government is democracy.

“If people topple the government- democracy. Government grinds the people - autocracy,” he tweeted today via his Twitter handle @saifuddinabd.

( Rakyat guling kerajaan: demokrasi. Kerajaan giling rakyat: autokrasi .)

However, he did not elaborate the context of his short tweet, but he appears to one of the few BN members who are not singing the same tune with the government in their claims that the rally tomorrow will be aimed to ‘topple the government’.

Rally organisers have vehemently denied these claims, and have insisted that the rally is merely to protest price hikes which have shot up the cost of living.

Meanwhile, several pro-government NGOs have urged their members to flood Dataran Merdeka on New Year’s eve in order to show their support for the government while “observing” the environment at the venue where a rally against price hikes has been planned.

1Malaysia Army Veterans Association (PVTM), Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM), Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Association (IKHLAS) and 1Malaysia Najib Aspiration Supporters Club (Pekan), are also asking people not to attend the rally opposing price hikes by NGOs such as Turun and Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM).

“NGOs, please come to Dataran Merdeka tomorrow... witness (the environment) even though you are coming as NGOs supporting the government,” MJMM president Abdul Rani Kurup Abdullah (right in photo ) said today.

“We will gather to see what is happening. NGO has no powers to stop the rally, but we will witness and are confident with the ability of the police (in dealing with the situation),” he said.