BALINGIAN The police have denied a claim that they are instilling fear of going to Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) rallies among the people in the run-up to the Balingian state by-election.

Mukah police chief DSP Omar Bakthiar Yaacob said police presence at political rallies during an election campaign was normal for security purposes.

“We are monitoring the security situation at both, PKR and Barisan Nasional (BN) ceramah.

“For example, a BN ceramah attended by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Mukah yesterday was also guarded by police. This should not be blown out of proportion,” he told Bernama in Mukah today.

Omar also denied that the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) was deployed at PKR ceramah, instead it was the Light Strike Force as it involved the presence of small groups of people.

He said that was no untoward incidents so far and until yesterday, the police had approved 23 ceramah permits to the BN and three to PKR.

Sarawak PKR committee member Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh, at a daily media briefing today, complained of heavy police presence during a ceramah featuring PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu early this week even though it had a police permit.

“We did not hold any street protest in Balingian. We only met voters and gave talks, but there was a big police turnout.

“Some of them took recording shots on cameras, thus creating fear among those present. The FRU was also there and this is rather strange,” he said.

Yussibnosh Balo, 48, of the BN is engaged in a straight fight with Abdul Jalil Bujang, 55, of the PKR in the by-election, necessitated by the resignation of Abdul Taib Mahmud when he stepped down as the chief minister.

- Bernama