Muda secretary-general Ainie Haziqah today said that the reservations expressed by her predecessor Amir Hadi over last week’s Turun Anwar rally were entirely his own.
When contacted by FMT, Ainie said Amir’s views on the rally should be addressed to the opposition, adding that the party could not be “selective” about the kind of rally it should back.
“For Muda, we are very consistent and straightforward on what we want out of this rally.
“So whether it is a turn-off, we should let the people decide,” she said, referring to Amir’s comments.
Amir said on Monday that the rally, organised by Perikatan Nasional, had missed the mark.
He said it looked like a “rushed attempt to return to power” on the part of the opposition bloc and warned that it would turn off fence-sitters.
Ainie’s remarks followed a joint press conference by Muda and Pejuang on the arrest of four men, including Bersatu leaders, for allegedly flogging an effigy of the prime minister during the rally last Saturday.
Ainie had questioned the silence by government leaders who had promised to abolish draconian laws such as the Sedition Act.
She also urged them to speak out against the arrests, which she described as an act of intimidation against peaceful protesters.
Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali meanwhile said that the government was being hypocritical in arresting people as it had promised to allow the rally to proceed without interference.
He also questioned the need for their arrest.
“We have no problems with investigations. But why was there a need to arrest them?” he said, adding that the police should have recorded their statements without detaining and remanding them.
The four men, who have since been released, are Furqan Hakimi, who serves as the executive secretary of Bersatu Youth’s Perak chapter; acting Ayer Hitam chief Syafiq Aziz; Bersatu leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin; and Sijangkang PAS Youth chief Ikhwan Syaffiq.
“They are Malaysians, they have the right to protest, too,” Rafique said.
