Malaysia govt blames opposition for violence at protest rally

Charges have not yet been filed against them.

The NGO Bersih,which organised the rally,wants the government to review the country’s election system and clean up the electoral roll before the next elections,that are expected to be announced soon.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today that prominent ethnic Indian lawyer,S Ambiga,who is the Bersih organiser,and the opposition must take responsibility for allowing a peaceful gathering to turn violent.

Describing what happened as regrettable,he said Ambiga,as the main organiser of the rally,must also face the law for the resulting damage to property and policemen being injured.

“Yesterday’s riots were uncalled for. The opposition must be held responsible for that.

“Ambiga should not be allowed to walk away from taking responsibility because she was the main organiser. So,we will leave it to the authorities to take the appropriate action against her. We are not trying to restrain her freedom. We already gave her that,” he said.

The minister said yesterday’s events had caused uneasiness and anger among the public.

“Unfortunately,the rally turned out not the way Ambiga had wanted. She lost control of the situation. The rally was clearly hijacked by opposition,” he said.

He said the people should judge themselves the “dirty tactics” of the opposition in masterminding the rally,and the refusal to accept an alternative venue as offered by the government.

He said allegations that the election system in this country was not transparent are not true,as members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms also comprises opposition members of Parliament,state-run Bernama news agency said.

Meanwhile,Ambiga Sreenevasan believes that the Najib Razak administration has to look past the violence that marred the rally and pay attention to the large numbers who turned up to demand free and fair elections.

The Bersih co-chair told The Malaysian Insider that the government could ill-afford to turn a blind eye to the tens of thousands who dared to throng the streets in cities nationwide to participate in the sit-in.

The rally and the ensuing violence could be factors in the coming general elections that must be held by early 2013.

“My view is that if they are sensible,they will not ignore the views expressed by Malaysians not only locally but globally,” she said when contacted yesterday.

Ambiga,however,admitted that Bersih may have to face negative repercussions over the unruly behaviour of some protesters who used the rally yesterday to stage attacks against the police.

She noted that some may even feel that Bersih 3.0 “had gone wrong”.

The rally began peacefully but turned violent shortly after Bersih leaders declared the event was over when protesters broke past the barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka,that was cordoned off due to a court order.

Riot police began making arbitrary arrests some nearly four hours after the Bersih 3.0 rally was officially concluded by its leaders when remaining protesters,numbering at least

1,000,refused to leave the streets of the capital,Malaysian Insider said.