By : Shannon Teoh
KUALA LUMPUR : Former police
chief Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor has alleged that Bersih used 'Marxist'
tactics, echoing his predecessor Tun Hanif Omar and accused the opposition of
wanting bloodshed as it was not confident of taking over Putrajaya.
Rahim called on the
government’s panel investigating the violence at Bersih’s April 28 rally led by
Hanif to probe the 84 civil societies that form the electoral reforms movement
and 'information' that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was inciting bloodshed at the rally
for free and fair elections.
“The panel must investigate
the NGOs in the coalition. Check if the situation will become more severe,”
Rahim said in an interview with Berita Minggu published today, when asked if
there was potential for bloodshed if Bersih was allowed to proceed.
“I received information of
incitement, apparently the opposition is not confident of winning Putrajaya and
chose instead a ‘bloodshed’ approach,” added the 68-year-old who was Inspector
General of Police from 1994 until 1999 when he reisgned after confessing to
assaulting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Rahim, who has previously
likened the rise of civil society to communism, added that “while they might
not be Marxist,” the Bersih movement used Marxist tactics, implying that it
infiltrated NGOs to agitate the public.
“The April 28 movement is
ala-Marxist. At the peak of the Marxist movement, in the 40s to the 70s, they
used underground groups to infiltrate associations, unions, schools and
religious bodies.
“They collect issues to
damage the government and raise anger and anxiety among the public. I see that
the country is not free from this threat,” he said.
He described Marxist tactics
as “Agitprop (agitation propaganda) and Agitpol (agitation politics)” and
explained that “incitement and street protests are Agitpol” while allegations
“that the prime minister will order the armed forces to do something if Barisan
Nasional (BN) loses (the election)” is Agitprop.
The so-called “Hanif panel”
has been criticised as the former IGP “has already made two public comments...
that communist sympathisers who were active demonstrators in the 1970s were
involved.” “He has also agreed with Najib’s allegation that Bersih 3.0 was an
attempted coup d’état against the government. By so doing, he has shown that he
is biased and has already pre-judged the outcome of the investigation,” Bersih
has said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri
Hishammuddin Hussein has also claimed that there were those at the planned
sit-in who “wanted deaths,” a statement backed by police who have uploaded a
clip on video-sharing site YouTube they claim is proof of the allegation.
The April 28 rally, which
saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations before heading to
Dataran Merdeka, was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga
Sreenevasan asked the crown to disperse.
But the former Bar Council
president’s call was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted around the
historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the
weekend.
Just before 3pm, some
protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to
disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.
Police then continued to
pursue the rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw
violence from both sides over the next four hours.
Several dozen demonstrators
have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time
and visual evidence appears to back their claim but police also point to
violence from rally-goers who also attacked a police car.
The police car then crashed
into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.
Rahim is also being sued by
Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat after the New Straits Times carried a report
quoting him as calling the Pas spiritual leader the “father of kafir
(infidels)” in response to the latter’s defence of those who participated in
the April 28 rally as fulfilling their Islamic obligation.
But the former Inspector
General of Police has since clarified in a letter to the paper that he had not
uttered the words, but had only questioned PAS’s association with secularist
DAP. (theborneopost)
perhimpunan bersih mmg membawa huru hara.
ReplyDeleteSemua tu sudah dijangka tapi masih juga mahu teruskan Bersih 3.0
DeleteBanyak sangat yang suka buat provokasi.
ReplyDeleteTidak perlu kita menyokong sesuatu yang mendatangkan kekecohan seperti BERSIH.
ReplyDeletePerhimpunan Bersih tu harus diharamkan
Deletewalau apa jenis taktik yang digunakan oleh penganjur2 Bersih, yang pasti tujuan sebenar mereka adalah untuk menjatuhkan kerajaan..
ReplyDeleteketika pilihanraya umum 2008 juga, kemenangan Pakatan di empat buah negeri adalah hasil dari perhimpunan Bersih yang pertama iaitu pada tahun 2007.. mungkin sebab itulah mereka terus menganjurkan demonstrasi ini dengan harapan lebih banyak negeri2 akan jatuh ketangan pakatan pada PRU13 ini..
ReplyDeleteThe government is committed to preserving a society that is civil, values democracy and respects law and order, said Science, Technology & Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.
ReplyDeleteThe Kota Marudu MP said that democracy did not mean the society could disregard the law and let lawlessness rule.
ReplyDeleteHe said the government regretted the untoward incidences of violence and unruliness during the Bersih 3.0 gathering in the national capital, especially when the organisers had called the planned gathering a peaceful one.
ReplyDeleteThe government cannot compromise on peace and rule of law otherwise the government is just as guilty as those who decided to turn the gathering into an untoward incident by defying a court order.
ReplyDeleteHe reiterated the Prime Minister’s view that certain quarters had used the gathering to further their own agenda of toppling the democratically-elected government by inciting violence and forcing the illegal occupation of Dataran Merdeka.
ReplyDeleteEverybody wants fair elections, the government wants it. So the government initiated the setting up of a parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform to undertake measures for reformation.
ReplyDeleteDr Maximus said PSC members had worked hard for six months to deliberate and gather public views before coming up with 22 recommendations to be undertaken by the relevant parties including the Election Commission.
ReplyDeleteSo it smacks of political agenda when they decided to act like they did not agree with the PSC’s final report and demanded to table their own minority report.
ReplyDeleteBut what is not want is people instigating the public to commit offences towards achieving their own political agenda under the guise of a good cause.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, PKR, DAP and Pas proceeded to join the rally which is undermining the PSC’s effort and directly this means rejecting their own views and proposals
ReplyDeleteThis incident has put a lot of questions about the intentions of the rally. Those responsible should not absolve themselves of responsibility and blame the police who were only doing their job.
ReplyDelete