KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 10: PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang warned Barisan Nasional that the massive Bersih protests in the capital yesterday was only the beginning of the people’s uprising.
ARRESTED TOO ... Hadi, seen here on a police truck with his political aide, says his arrest is "no big deal"
“This is just a preamble to the people’s uprising and if they are not prepared to make any reforms to the election system and democracy, bigger uprising will happen anytime, and it is not necessarily before election, but can be also after election.
"We’ll wait and see the government’s response,” the Marang member of parliament said upon his release last night.
Hadi was arrested around 2.30pm yesterday at KL Sentral station, alongside Salahuddin Ayub and Mahfuz Omar. While his deputy Mohamad Sabu who was a passenger behind a motorcycle, was rammed by a police vehicle, injuring him. Mat Sabu has since been unable to walk.
TARGET OF POLICE ... Mat Sabu attending the funeral for Baharuddin Ahmad, who passed away after collapsing during yesterday's protest, believed to be due to teargas.
"I am unable to walk. I have to be carried or place on a wheelchair, after the police hit me," Mat Sabu replied over SMS this morning when asked how felt.
The PAS leaders were among other Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih leaders, including Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreevenasan, who joined more than 1,600 others hauled up by the police.
They were among some 50,000 people who defied weeks of warnings by the authorities to stay away from the rally for electoral reform, following the government's refusal for Bersih to have its rally in a stadium as advised by the Agong.
Many at the rally yesterday had spoken of excessive force by the police on female members of the public, and Youtube videos posted hours after the protests yesterday showed how police personnel were acting with brute force on unarmed protesters.
Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar, visibly shocked at the presence of the huge crowd, quickly downplayed the rally, claiming only 5,000 to 6,000 people had attended. Based on such a claim, it would mean, albeit incredulously, that for any group of four people, one was arrested.
Hadi said people had come from every corner of the country despite the government’s intimidation and police provocation.
“Thankfully, everyone followed the leadership’s advice abstain from violence against the police or anybody, although some of us were severely harassed.
"This is because our aim was just to send the message of democracy to call for a clean and fair election,” he said.
Hadi said those who were arrested had made their contribution to the country’s democracy, adding that his own arrest was "no big deal" as it paled compared to others who had been jailed for years.
http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/berita-utama/3106-hadi-warns-of-larger-protests-and-not-necessarily-before-election.html
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