PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Kuching on Saturday has been put off after police withheld approval for a police permit for a gathering of several thousand party members and supporters.

Disclosing this today, state PKR leader and state assemblyperson for Padungan Dominique Ng said the party has decided to postpone the gathering planned to be held outside the state party headquarters in Jalan Matang after police indicated they were not ready to give the green light.

“We want to avoid any untoward incident like people being arrested so we decided to put it off,” Ng said, adding that the gathering is likely to be held a week from now.

The planned 100-table dinner gathering at a local restaurant to hear speeches from state and national leaders, including Anwar, has also been postponed.

Ng said the change would also enable the national party leader to concentrate on his roadshow and other pressing matters in Peninsular Malaysia for the time being.

Between 7,000 to 8,000 people, mostly party members and supporters, are expected to attend the gathering outside the state party headquarters.

Legal action

Meanwhile, Ng who is also a lawyer told Malaysiakini that three Iban longhouses in Simunjan have decided to initiate legal action to claim their native customary rights on their lands which are being encroached by commercial oil palm plantation activities.

“They have decided to appoint me as their lawyer and we will file the writ of summons against three plantation companies which have been issued with leases for oil palm plantations in the area,” he added.

The NCR lands being encroached are said to be several thousand hectares and have been farming lands of the Iban community in the area for a long time.