In what seems to be a deja vu of last year’s New Year’s Eve celebration at Dataran Merdeka, a group of NGOs plan to organise a mass demonstration on the same day to demand the RON95 price to be lowered to RM1.90 a litre.

The NGOs, including Gerakan Turun Kos Sara Hidup (Turun) and Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), alongside 15 others, will gather at Dataran Merdeka to usher in the New Year.

In last year’s rally, the authorities accused key organiser Turun of planning to “ guling ” (overthrow) the government, and the police branded the rally "illegal".

 

Police then cited an intelligence report that said dangerous weapons and bombs were present at the demonstration, a claim which protest organisers fervently denied.

The coalition of 17 NGOs includes Muslim groups such as Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) and Gerakan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia (Gamis), human rights organisation Suaram, and Royalti Kelantan, which pushes for oil royalty payment from federal government to the state.

 

The demonstration is also supported by political parties such as PKR and PAS, the rally organisers said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Turun chief Azan Safar ( holding the microphone ) said they would not be applying for a permit as they would be ushering in the New Year, like many others.

 

“Why should we apply for a permit when it is our right to celebrate the New Year?

 

“This demonstration is part of our celebration which ushers in 2015, which is to be a year of suffering and burdening the people, with the incoming GST and the rising prices,” Azan said.

 

Expecting a bigger crowd

 

Turun, a key organiser of the 2014 rally , hich attracted 10,000 people, said they are expecting an even bigger crowd because unhappiness with the fuel hike has been building up.

 

Meanwhile, SAMM propaganda director Edy Noor Reduan said the demonstration would be a backlash to the government’s accusations against the NGOs for last year’s rally.

 

The NGOs were last year accused of planning to “overthrow” the government with their sit-in on New Year's Eve.

“Last year, on Dec 31, we were accused of wanting to overthrow the government.

 

“But this year, we give a warning to the government that with the increasing costs (of fuel and other items), we might just overthrow the government this year,” Edy ( right ) said at a press conference today.

 

Activist Hishamuddin Rais, who was also present, called for all Malaysians to attend the demonstration to reflect their dismay with the government's decision to increase the price of fuel.

 

“I ask the people to attend in masses on Dec 31 – wearing black – to show the government how unhappy we are with the fuel price hike.

 

“If there is no action (from the government ) after the demonstration, it is good, as it would make the people even more dissatisfied and make it easier for them to hate the government even more,” Hishamuddin said.