Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has defended the government’s crackdown and police actions at recent protests warning that he would not tolerate those who incite violence for personal gains.

While he acknowledged that the right to assembly is crucial in a democracy, he maintains that the right must be balanced with a duty towards public safety.

"Malaysian law stipulates that marches and rallies must be agreed with the police in advance. If protesters have not sought authorisation, then the police are bound by duty to enforce the law and ensure public safety," he wrote in an opinion piece published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on Friday.

According to Abdullah, the police must balance the rights of protesters with the safety of other citizens but admitted that such a task was not easy.

Both the Nov 10 Bersih rally for electoral reform and the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) demonstrations on Nov 25 saw the use of tear gas, water cannon and violence against protesters.

Permit applications for both rallies were rejected amidst numerous warnings from the government and police that action will be taken against participants.

Malaysia’s democracy

The recent demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur had attracted international attention with some even questioning Malaysia’s commitment to democratic freedom, Abdullah said.

India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern towards the use of force against protesters which resulted in the government warning foreign powers not to interfere in its political affairs.

The prime minister added that all democracies can be improved upon and that he was proud of the country’s heritage and "our continuing respect for free speech, pluralism and fair elections."

Meanwhile, Putera Umno bureau chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim reminded Hindraf leaders and supporters not to gamble away the nation's prosperity by organising rallies and making unfounded allegations.

Instead, he urged them to use the various existing platforms to voice their grievances.

"And my advice to them is, if they continue with this (demonstrations)...are they prepared to become beggars on their own soil? Do they want the same situation here as that in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine?” he said, as quoted by Bernama.

An estimated 30,000 people , mostly ethnic Indians, took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25 to support a RM14 trillion (US$4 trillion) lawsuit by Hindraf against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years.

On that day, Hindraf leaders had planned to submit a memorandum to the British High Commission’s representative to petition Queen Elizabeth II to appoint a Queen's counsel to argue the case on their behalf.