Malaysian parties, groups launch drive to demand reforms<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Malaysian opposition parties and
\nsocial groups launched on Sunday a campaign for reforms in a
\nchallenge to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's rule.<\/p>\n
\"We demand for change. We demand for reform and social
\njustice,\" Tian Chua, chairman of the newly formed Coalition for
\nPeople's Democracy, told AFP.<\/p>\n
He said formation of the coalition was an attempt \"to create
\nan alternative platform to present policies related to politics,
\nthe economy and social issues which will reflect the voices of
\nthe people.\"<\/p>\n
Tian said 18 organizations, including the main political
\nopposition Democratic Action Party; Voice of the Malaysian
\nPeople, a human rights group; the Women's Force Organization
\n(Tenaganita) and the Malaysian Islamic Youth Council were members
\nof the coalition.<\/p>\n
Late Sunday the Islamic opposition party, the Parti Islam Se-
\nMalaysia (PAS), will found another coalition of religious groups
\nand non-governmental organizations, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We will fight together for justice,\" Tian said.<\/p>\n
Irene Fernandez, Tenaganita's director, told reporters the
\ntime had come for Mahathir to quit -- a demand made by the
\npremier's ousted deputy Anwar Ibrahim until Anwar was arrested on
\nSept. 20.<\/p>\n
Malaysian authorities closed the capital's main square on
\nSunday after the fourth anti-government protest in a week.
\nSeveral thousand supporters of Anwar gathered near Merdeka
\n(Freedom) Square on Saturday before police drove them away with
\nwater cannon.<\/p>\n
Police detained 29 protesters, newspapers said. Police later
\nparked at least 20 trucks around the rectangular green to bar
\nprotesters from gathering.<\/p>\n
Last Sunday, 30,000 demonstrators had rallied in the square
\nand called for an end to Mahathir's 17-year-old rule.<\/p>\n
Hours after that demonstration, Anwar was arrested in his
\nsuburban home and detained under the Internal Security Act, which
\npermits indefinite detention without trial.<\/p>\n
A City Hall statement late on Saturday said the square would
\nbe closed to the public for a week. It cited maintenance work to
\nbe carried out following the Commonwealth Games which ended last
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
PAS said a big crowd was expected on Sunday night at a rally
\non the outskirts of the capital to launch the Malaysian Justice
\nMovement, backed by at least one other opposition party.<\/p>\n
\"We are expecting a very large turnout tonight,\" said a
\nspokesman for the group.<\/p>\n
The group of non-governmental organizations and opposition
\nparties, calling itself the Coalition for People's Democracy, on
\nSunday expressed full support for the new dissident movement.<\/p>\n
The group announced a 10-point joint declaration which include
\nthe rights to freedom of speech and assembly, and to a fair trial
\nand impartial hearing in a public court of law.<\/p>\n
It also called for the repeal of all legislations which
\ninfringe human rights, including the Internal Security Act.<\/p>\n
Anwar supporters called on people to try to gather at Merdeka
\nSquare on Monday, a national holiday in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian government on Sunday warned visiting foreign
\njournalists with expired credentials from the Commonwealth Games
\nnot to overstay without permission in order to cover the
\npolitical unrest triggered by the firing of the country's former
\ndeputy prime minister.<\/p>\n
\"They can come but must first register,\" Malaysia's official
\nBernama news agency quoted Information Minister Mohamad Rahmat as
\nsaying about foreign correspondents who originally came to report
\non the sporting event.<\/p>\n
The Commonwealth Games, which ended Sept. 21, drew some 2,000
\ninternational journalists to Kuala Lumpur, the Southeast Asian
\nnation's capital city.<\/p>",
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