Harakah, English Section
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (ES) – The police and the ruling party has been accused of colluding to a “pre-planned” skirmish which resulted in two people being injured by “at least two rounds” of live ammunition after the authorities denied permission for an organised political event from being held at Batu Buruk in Terengganu, Saturday Sept 8.

Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) Terengganu commissioner Datuk Mustafa Ali named Internal Security Minister political secretary Senator Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as among those allegedly responsible for the pre-planned skirmishes.
In a press conference held at PAS headquarters here today by a coalition of political parties, trade unions and non-governmental organizations calling themselves BERSIH, Mustafa said witnesses are willing to come forward to testify that the skirmishes was pre-planned.
He said a police officer was informed in a meeting on the afternoon of Sept 8, of the identities of those attending the event and that plainclothed policemen were asked to wear a ribbon to identify themselves.
“Full investigation must be done by the police to get the whole picture on what has transpired,” he said. He said UMNO from the ruling coalition had taken the measure because “the people had shown they were more than willing to reject UMNO and the ruling coalition in the next election.”
“That’s why they have (to resort to these measures),” he said. Wan Ahmad Farid could not be immediately contacted for comments.
Mustafa also noted that an application submitted for a police permit Aug 30 for the event which was to be held in a private premise, and the police rejected it on the grounds that the area was heavily populated and that the event would be a nuisance.
He rejected the reason given as “groundless” and noted that police officers came twice on Sept 7 and 8 to ask the owner of the premise to sign a letter not to allow the event from being held there.
Mustafa said the police then dismantled a platform erected for the event at about 5pm on the day of the event – in the absence of owner – in a move he described as “morally and legally wrong”.
The event by BERSIH was to highlight the growing call for free and fair elections which among others includes the demand for postal ballot to be abolished, the use of indelible ink during voting day, the cleaning up of the voters rolls deemed to be littered with “phantom voters” and equal access to the media.