Keadilan party sticks to its gun on gathering<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): A Malaysian opposition party said on
\nMonday it would go ahead with a mass gathering to mark the first
\nanniversary of Anwar Ibrahim's sentencing despite government and
\npolice warnings.<\/p>\n
Chandra Muzaffar, deputy president of the National Justice
\nParty (Keadilan) headed by the wife of the sacked deputy premier,
\nsaid the \"peaceful gathering\" would be held at the National
\nMosque in Kuala Lumpur this Saturday.<\/p>\n
But Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned that
\npolice would take \"firm action\" as organizers had not obtained a
\npolice permit.<\/p>\n
\"If they want to go ahead with the gathering with other
\nintentions and if fights break out, this is not good for society.
\nWhen there is a fight involving many people, it will certainly
\nturn into a riot,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung said Keadilan's
\napplication for a permit was rejected as it could not fulfill
\ncertain conditions, such as give a guarantee that public peace
\nand security would be protected.<\/p>\n
The organizers also sent in their application late, Chor was
\nquoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Sunday said Keadilan was
\nplanning a riot and predicted that its supporters would carry
\nweapons and petrol bombs.<\/p>\n
City police chief Kamarudin Mohamad Ali has also warned people
\nagainst taking part in an illegal gathering and said organizers
\ncould be arrested or charged under the Sedition Act.<\/p>\n
Authorities have wide powers to ban unauthorized gatherings.
\nPolice used water cannon and tear gas to quell street
\ndisturbances after Anwar was sentenced to six years' jail on
\nApril 14, 1999, and to break up a protest last September at the
\nnational mosque following claims that Anwar had been poisoned
\nwhile in jail.<\/p>\n
Chandra described the riot predictions as a \"mischievous lie.\"
\nHe said it was \"not inconceivable\" that agent provocateurs linked
\nto the state might be planning to make trouble to discredit the
\nopposition.<\/p>\n
Mahathir's comments might be aimed at frightening people away
\nfrom the gathering, he said.<\/p>\n
Party youth wing executive secretary Muhammad Zahid Arip
\ndescribed Mahathir's claim of planned riots as \"slander.\"<\/p>\n
Zahid said some 5,000 to 7,000 supporters would gather. But a
\nplanned march to the national palace to submit a memorandum to
\nthe king on Anwar's conviction and other issues might be called
\noff.<\/p>\n
The youth wing would meet police to ensure there would be no
\ntrouble, he said.<\/p>\n
Rights group Suaram also protested Mahathir's claim, saying it
\nwas seen as a signal for police to \"come down hard on those who
\ndemand reform.\"<\/p>\n
Suaram said the people's right to assemble was guaranteed
\nunder the constitution.<\/p>\n
Anwar was convicted of abusing his powers to cover up
\nallegations of sexual misconduct. He is now on trial for sodomy,
\npunishable by up to 20 years.<\/p>\n
He said he was framed by high-level politicians because he
\nthreatened to expose government corruption and was seen as a
\npolitical threat to Mahathir.<\/p>\n
Anwar's close aide, meanwhile testified on Monday that he was
\nin Europe with the former deputy prime minister on many of the
\ndates Anwar was alleged to have sodomized his former family
\ndriver.<\/p>\n
Holding up his passport, Mohamad Azmin Ali, who was Anwar's
\nprivate secretary for nearly a decade, said Anwar visited
\nEngland, France and Germany during a business trip in February
\n1993.<\/p>\n
Defense attorneys told the High Court that Mohamad Azmin's
\ntestimony refuted the charge that Anwar sodomized Azizan Abu
\nBakar one evening between January to March 1993.<\/p>\n
Judge Ariffin Jaka later postponed a hearing on whether
\nMahathir's testimony was required in the case until Wednesday to
\nallow Mohamad Azmin to finish his testimony.<\/p>",
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