Kids at the front
While leaders walk in their comfort zone. Bodyguards and all.
KUALA LUMPUR: Parents, guardians and organisers who bring children to street demonstrations risk being jailed 10 years and/or fined RM20,000.
Women, Children and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil warned that action would be taken against those who intentionally exposed children to dangerous situations under the Child Act, 2001.
The IGP has also committed to take action . Read here
We are very lucky that the voice of reason has spoken out. We cannot allow this trend to continue. We are very upset and distressed with this kind of news.
We urge politicians to leave children out of their agenda, and to never ever put them in harms way again.
KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested almost 600 people in connection with the demonstrations held in the city yesterday.
“A total of 589 people were arrested as at 11.45pm, including Subang MP R. Sivarasa, who was picked up at Sogo at 3pm.
“Those arrested, including 40 women and 44 underaged persons, were picked up at the three major locations where the demonstrations were held,” said City police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Mohd Sabtu Osman.
He said police had identified 11 people believed to have instigated the demonstrations, including Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Batu MP Tian Chua, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.
“They will be called in to record their statements,” he added.
He said well-organised traffic operations and police roadblocks prevented protesters from two groups — one against the Internal Security Act and the other for it — from staging planned marches through the city.
Supporters of both groups were contained at the Sogo shopping complex, National Mosque and Masjid Jamek LRT station areas, and had to abort their pre-planned march towards Istana Negara to hand over memorandums.
“Even though adequate warnings were issued, about 5,000 demonstrators ignored them and took part in the illegal gatherings from 7am.
“They failed to obey police orders to disperse and continued to cause a commotion,” he said, adding that those arrested would be investigated under the Societies Act and Police Act.
DCP Mohd Sabtu stressed that police would continue to conduct roadblocks and traffic operations today to ensure the situation remained under control.
He also apologised to the public for yesterday’s massive traffic congestion but stressed that it was not the fault of the policeKUALA LUMPUR: While thousands of anti-ISA protesters struggled in vain to reach Istana Negara, one man beat all odds to fulfil his mission to submit a pro-ISA memorandum.
ISA supporter Mohd Khairul Azam Abd Aziz said he succeeded because he walked alone.
“I even took time to eat durian by the roadside, had some tea, and even took some cigarette breaks as I walked alone from the Central Market to the back gate of the Istana.
“The anti-ISA protesters went in large numbers, so naturally they would face strong resistance from the authorities,’’ he said.
Khairul was representing Magaran (Majlis Gabungan NGO Pembela Negara) to submit an eight-page pro-ISA memorandum to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Khairul, who is the legal adviser to Magaran, said he enjoyed his three-hour leisurely walk.
“I wore the pro-ISA T-shirt underneath a Visit Malaysia T-shirt, to avoid being noticed by the authorities.
“I lifted the T-shirt to reveal the pro-ISA message only when the media photographers arrived.
“But the arrival of the photographers attracted police attention.
“Before that, I was there for a long time, and no one noticed me. When the cameras started clicking at about 7pm, the police rushed over,” he said.
Khairul said the police took down his particulars. They were curious to know how he managed to breach such tight security.
He claimed that the police, however, could not take action against him because he was alone and therefore, could not be charged for participating in an illegal rally.
He said the thousands of anti-ISA protesters failed to fulfil their mission because they were bent on showing strength in numbers.
“I walked alone to represent the 100,000 Magaran members, and I succeeded in delivering the pro-ISA memorandum.
“I can sleep soundly tonight because I succeeded in fulfilling the expectation of the pro-ISA NGOs, without getting into trouble,’’ he said.
