GE13: Group claims Opposition trained to cause trouble
(The Star) – A Malay martial arts group has accused the Opposition of receiving foreign training and funding on how to disrupt the coming general election.
The Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia (PSSGM) said they had received information that the Opposition parties were planning to influence the rakyat into believing that the elections would not be handled fairly.
“We found that foreign parties have trained the Opposition on how to provoke and stir up trouble during the elections.
“We also heard that these groups had even issued a circular to its members, explaining how to provoke and influence people at gatherings into stirring up trouble,” said PSSGM president Datuk Adiwijaya Abdullah yesterday.
When asked how the association had found out about the matter, Adiwijaya said the information was given by its members from all over the country.
He said PSSGM believed that some people might intentionally try to cause trouble and be arrested, so that they could claim that the Opposition was being treated unfairly during the elections.
Adiwijaya urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to look into claims that the Opposition had received foreign funding for such acts.
Police ready to act against groups planning to disrupt polls, says Hishammuddin
Police are taking necessary to steps to carry out surveillance and take appropriate action against any group planning to disrupt the upcoming general election.
To ensure that the process of a free and fair election is conducted smoothly, steps would be taken to enlist the help of Rela to act as the ears and eyes of the police said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He said discussions have already been held with the Inspector-General of Police and that he has also directed his state police chiefs to tackle immediately any possible groups planning to disrupt the elections.
He said this when responding to reports that certain groups were distributing leaflets containing information on how to create trouble at polling stations in 10 parliamentary constituencies including Gombak, Lembah Pantai, Permatang Pauh, Setiawangsa, Wangsa Maju, Bagan Serai, Bukit Katil, Muar, Pandan dan Sabak Bernam.
“Police are not just looking at the 10 constituencies named in the leaflets but the whole country,” he said on Saturday, adding that people behind such acts were not confident of winning.
On the security situation in Lahad Datu, he said the current mop up operations against Sulu gunmen at a few villages would not affect the election process in Sabah.
“The security situation in Lahad Datu is improving and only a few affected kampungs are being mopped up for remnant gunmen,” he said.
