Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a mass rally today, on the eve of a deadline he has set to seize power with the help of defecting government lawmakers.
Datuk Seri Anwar arrived to rapturous applause from a crowd of about 20,000 people gathered at a Kuala Lumpur stadium which echoed to chants of 'Reformasi' - the opposition battlecry of 'Reform'.
Officials from his Keadilan party said he would make a speech that could shed light on his plans to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which has dominated Malaysian politics for past 51 years.
But there were mixed messages over whether he will on Tuesday declare he has the support of the 30 BN Members of Parliament he needs to form a new administration, and formally challenge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Tian Chua, information chief of his Keadilan party, said the three-member opposition alliance had signed up enough defectors to form a simple majority in parliament and that Datuk Seri Anwar wanted to meet with PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Tuesday to inform him.
'We want Datuk Seri Abdullah to assure us there will be no repressive force used, like involving the police or inviting the military to take control,' he told AFP.
Tian Chua said the opposition's push had been helped by a government crackdown Saturday that saw an opposition politician, a prominent blogger and a journalist detained under draconian internal security laws.
'Datuk Seri Abdullah's final crackdown made people lose hope that he is ever going to be a liberal reformer, which he promised,' he said.
However, Keadilan vice-president Syed Husin Ali was more cautious, declining to specify how many defectors were on board and only saying that 'tomorrow the beginnings of the process will happen.' 'The whole process might take a month but it could be sooner,' he told AFP.
'You never know, he might announce something this evening. And tomorrow there will definitely be an announcement of something.'
Spirits were high at the stadium, which was emblazoned with Malaysian flags and posters demanding the release of the opposition politician and the blogger - who remain in custody after the journalist was freed.
news n photos courtesy of Straits Times & Malaysiakini
1 comment:
in politics, you have to play dirty especially when going against bodowi. if play too nice and gentlemanly, YOU WILL LOSE !!
why play fair with them? if want to play fair, there has to be a judge/referee. in this case, there's NONE!!!
if can form government, GO AHEAD & DO IT FAST!! i'm sure the majority of intelligent mature economic ppl wanted changed ASAP.
no more chance for them because they gave us no chance for reasonable survival!!
no need for his blessings for transition of power because you have the RAKYAT'S BLESSINGS but MUST GET the consent from AGUNG & THE SULTANS of malaysia . GO FAST PLEASE DSAI !! A second gone is a second WASTED!!!
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