The government cannot ‘punish’ the rakyat with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for their own failures, says PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

In a statement today voicing PKR’s commitment to the upcoming May Day Rally, she said among these failures were issues of corruption, leakages, and abuse of power.

“PKR stresses that as long as there is no significant change in the gap between the rich and the poor, PKR will fight hard against GST because amid the continuously high inflation rates, the implementation of GST is expected to increase the cost of living,” she said.

The anti-GST rally slated for 2pm on May 1 is to protest against the tax, which will be in force starting April 1 next year.

The protest is will begin at several locations around Kuala Lumpur before protesters converge on Jalan Raja, which is adjacent to Dataran Merdeka. Dataran Merdeka itself has been closed for renovations.

Wan Azizah ( right ) urged people to join the rally, and take the opportunity to protest other issues as well, namely the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), abuses of power, and corruption.

Separately, the human rights group Suaram has condemned statement on public rallies by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several police officers.

Previously, Zahid had warned the anti-GST rally protesters to follow conditions set under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.

Separately, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said organisers of future rallies still have to give the police a 10-day notice, while Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi had said that an anti-GST rally in Penang tomorrow organised by the Penang chapter of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) is illegal for not giving notice to the police.

‘Freedom of assembly a constitutional right’

Suaram said that the freedom of assembly is a constitutional right and a human right, and the recent Court of Appeal decision declaring that it is unconstitutional to criminalise failure to give notice under the PAA affirms this.

“The duty of the government and the police is uphold the federal constitution and protect this right rather than clamping it down...

“The home minister and the inspector-general of police should stop threatening and intimidating May 1 rally organisers and participants but obey and enforce the Court of Appeal ruling by instructing the police force to facilitate the participation of public members in the rally and conduct traffic control in order to ensure the rally is held smoothly,” it said in a statement today.

They also condemned Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s statement that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall would not allow the use of Dataran Merdeka for the rally even if organisers applied for a permit.

The group argued that the issues of permits should not arise because it is a public space, and each year various groups have organised rallies in conjunction with Labour Day on May 1 without incident.