Anwar: 505 rally will go on
(The Star) – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Black 505 rally at Padang Merbok tomorrow will proceed as planned.
“Pakatan Rakyat will continue to push for the resignation of all Election Commission members.
“Elections should be held again at 30 parliamentary constituencies, while the re-delineation exercise should cease until new EC members are appointed. We urge the people to join in,” he said after chairing the Pakatan leadership council meeting yesterday.
PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, who was at the press conference, said it was compulsory for party leaders to attend the rally.
He said Pakatan had protested against the use of indelible ink which could be washed off.
PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the haze situation would not put a damper on the rally.
“We do not see any possibility of the rally being postponed. The plan will go ahead with no changes,” he said.
Meanwhile, DAP chairman Karpal Singh denied that the rally was being organised by Pakatan.
Instead, it was solely planned and implemented by the PKR.
“It is not an event that is jointly organised by Pakatan,” he said yesterday.
Karpal remained mum when asked if he would be taking part.
However, he said City Hall should allow the organisers to hold the event at Padang Merbok.
City Hall had suggested that the rally be held in Stadium Merdeka, but Rafizi had insisted on holding the event in Padang Merbok, claiming that it would set a bad precedence if they gave in now.
Dang Wangi police chief Asst Comm Zainuddin Ahmad had warned the organisers that action would be taken against them if they went ahead to hold the rally without a permit.
It is learnt that some Pakatan elected representatives are not keen to take part as they do not want to risk losing their positions if they are fined more than RM2,000 for breaking the law.
Meanwhile, the 2013 Olympic Day Run, which is scheduled to be held at Padang Merbok, has been postponed until further notice due to the worsening haze.
McDonald’s Malaysia, which co-organised the event with the Olympic Council of Malaysia, said in a statement that more information would be released in due course.
