UPDATED 9.15PM KUALA LUMPUR: Chaos erupted when the police fired tear gas on the pro-Selangor state government’s “red shirt” supporters as they attempted to march to Istana Negara to submit a memorandum to Yang-Dipertuan Agong Tunku Mizan Zainal Abidin. About 50 protesters were also arrested.
The day started with the arrest of three Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders, including its president and Kota Damansara assemblyman Nasir Hashim and secretary-general S Arutchelvan, this morning.
They were arrested even before the rally started, and for wearing red t-shirts and on the suspicion that they might be involved in an illegal assembly. They were released at about 3pm.
But by then, the police had moved in to arrest the others, allegedly for participating in an illegal assembly.
Earlier, Batu Caves assemblyperson Amiruddin Shari told FMT that the three PSM leaders were arrested at different locations.
“I was told that they were detained even before they could reach Masjid Negara (where the red-shirts had gathered before the march),” he said.
Groups of red-shirts - numbering about 2,000 - also gathered outside the Central Market and the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.
Arrested and released
Many of them were stopped by the police from heading towards the National Mosque before they could walk towards the palace, located about four kilometres away.
At about 2.30pm, the police brought in reinforcement to disperse the crowd, including by spraying water and making arrests. A small number of people were hurt, including elected reps and women in a melee which ensued.
About 50 people, including Selangor MB’s special officer Nooramin Ahmad and a 15-year-old minor, were arrested for failing to disperse in front of the mosque. They were taken to the police training centre in Cheras to be detained.
Meanwhile, a group of Pakatan elected representatives held discussions with Kuala Lumpur’s deputy police chief Amar Singh to seek the release of those arrested.
Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad then told the crowd that those arrested would be released if the protesters agreed to disperse. This ’deal’ was repeated to the crowd by Amar. The participants of the rally finally dispersed at around 3:45pm.
The police released 48 people at about 7pm. Two other men who were detained at the Brickfields police station for not having any identification documents were also released.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulkifli Abdullah said a total of 48 people were detained and released on police bail.
He added that the group which gathered at the mosque were unruly.
“Some of them threw stones at the police, forcing the police to use tear gas and water cannon to force them to disperse,” he told a media conference.
Memo submitted, police force lambasted
Dzulkefly also said that he would be raising the strong police tactics in Parliament next week.
“It is unfortunate that the police had used so much of force against the people. We were always ready to cooperate with them,” he said.
Malaysian Human Rights (Suhakam) commissioner Muhamad Shaani Abdullah also expressed his disappointment with the manner the police acted against the people.
"They are so unprofessional in dealing with the crowd. They scold and insult the people. There is no reason for them to behave in such a manner even if this gathering is illegal,” he said.
While the drama was unfolding at the National Mosque and its vicinity, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim managed to submit a memorandum to the palace at about 2.30pm by driving straight to Istana Negara. He was accompanied by state exco member Teresa Kok, Dr Xavier Jeyakumar and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, among others.
The memorandum, submitted to palace official Khairi Abdul Rahman, calls for the King to interfere in the ongoing dispute between the state government and water management company Syabas.
Khalid also thanked everyone who participated in the rally and urged them to continue their support.
“The federal government is not concerned about the people’s plight in this water issue. They should be working with us (state government) to stop the unfair agreement which favours Syabas,” he said.
He also expressed regret with the police action in dispersing the crowd forcibly.
Gaps submits memo
Meanwhile, some 300 supporters of the anti-Selangor government movement gathered at Stadium Merdeka but did not march to Istana Negara as planned.
However, a delegation later went to the palace by car and submitted the memorandum to a palace representative.
Supporters of the Anti-Penyelewengan Selangor (Gaps) movement started gathering about 11am.
Most of them were dressed in black t-shirts and yellow “Gaps” headbands, which were handed out for free by the organisers at the stadium car park area.
Amid heavy police presence, the demonstrators unfurled banners which criticised the Pakatan-led government and among others, shouted “Hidup Melayu” and “Tangkap Anwar”.
“We are here to protect the Malays. We are sending a memorandum to the king to highlight 30 mismanagement and corruption by the state government,” said Gaps leader Hamidzun Khairuddin.
On the failure to garner the initially promised 3,000 protesters, Hamidzun attributed this to the police.
“I took two hours to reach here from Shah Alam. Many of our people are stuck in a massive traffic jam,” he said.
The group dispersed around 12.30pm.
At a press conference held later, Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulkifli said this group dispersed when ordered to do so by the police.
Last Friday, Gaps had submitted the same memorandum to the sultan of Selangor Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
By Teoh El Sen and Fazy Sahir
(FreeMalaysiaToday) Sun, 05 Dec 2010 13:40
Tear gas, water cannons unleashed, 48 arrested
As a last resort to the protracted struggle for control over the management of water in Selangor, Pakatan Rakyat today organised a rally at the Masjid Negara in Kuala Lumpur where they were planning to march to the Istana Negara to submit a memorandum on the matter to the king.
By early afternoon, about 7,000 were gathered at the Masjid Negara in a sea of red shirts that flooded its compound.
Meanwhile, battalions of plaincloth and blue-uniformed police officers as well as Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) riot personnel took their positions along the route from Masjid Negara to the royal palace and in no time sprang into action.
(Mkini)
LIVE REPORTS
selangor protest against syabas 20101205 nasir hasim arrested11.30am: The police are taking no chances and have set up roadblocks and sent out patrols specifically to clamp down on the gathering at the National Palace organised by the Pakatan Rakyat-led government to submit a memorandum to the ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.
selangor protest against syabas 20101205 supporters indianPSM president Dr Nasir Hashim (above in red shirt, glasses) and his secretary-general and Kajang municipal councillor S Arutchelvan (above, left of Nasir) are spotted by a team of police officers at KL Sentral near Brickfields.
They and one other activist are ordered to stay put until further instructions are received by police superiors.
selangor protest against syabas 20101205 supporters 04When met at the spot where they were told to remain, Nasir tells Malaysiakini: “Saya tak pasti (ditahan). Polis halang saya (bergerak) sebab pakai baju merah,” (I’m not sure if I’m under arrest. The police are holding me because I’m wearing red), says the Kota Damansara state assemblyperson.
12.05pm: Nasir confirms that he, Arutchelvan and one other activist have been arrested and brought to the Petaling Jaya district police station.
No reasons were given for the arrest, says Nasir.
selangor protest against syabas 20101205 ronnie liu“They say it was for illegal assembly. But we were only three in the group.”
Elsewhere in Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam, Selangor, roadblocks have been set up to stop people from attending the protest and submission of the memorandum.
Organisers of the rally have said they will march from Masjid Negara to the palace of the sultan.
According to a tweet by former PKR supreme council member, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, several ’marshalls’ have also been arrested. He urges other participants in the rally to remain calm, and proceed to the Masjid Negara.
According to a tweet from DAP’s Kampung Tunku state assemblyperson Lau Weng San, a TV Selangor cameraman, has also been arrested.
Others at Masjid Negara are Selangor exco Ronnie Liu (above, right), PAS’ Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad, Badrul Hisham, and PKR’s Batu MP Tian Chua.
gaps protest 20101205 biker supporters 02The roads leading to Masjid Negara have been closed.
At Stadium Merdeka, meanwhile, about 300 members of the anti-Selangor government group ’Gaps’ have gathered and are set to hold a press conference to voice their stand on the matter.
They are chanting ’Hidup Melayu!’, ’Daulat Tuanku!’, and ’1Malaysia!’
gaps demo 051210 hamidzun khairuddinSome, however, are at Masjid Negara, where the pro-Selangor government supporters are also gathering.
Gaps chief Hamidzun Khairuddin (left) who is leading the anti-Selangor government group, denies that the participants of the demonstration are from Umno Youth or Wanita.
“They are all people from Selangor who care about the state,” he tells a short press conference.
The former Selangor PKR youth chief also denies that Gaps are mobilising dancers from the government’s Tarian 1Malaysia dance troupe under the Tourism Ministry at Dataran Merdeka earlier today to participate in the demostration.
gaps protest 20101205 show force 02They came by their own initiative, says Hamidzun.
When asked earlier, one of the female participants from the 1Malaysia dance at Dataran Merdeka just now, denies she is from Umno.
“We are from Selangor,” she tells Malaysiakini.
gaps protest 20101205 umno sticker on supporter bikeOne of the male participants also denies they are from Umno.
However, there is a sticker on a motorbike belonging to a Gaps supporter with an Umno logo, and the words ’Berbudi, Membalas budi, Mengenang Budi, Sukarelawan Kota Anggerik’.
Among the banners with them are those read: ’Khalid Ibrahim is a weak (Selangor) MB’; ’Crony of sand mining scandal steal people’s money’; and ’Cruel MB robbing the land of Yayasan Bakti Keluarga’.
gaps protest 20101205 banners 0212.48pm: Eight delegates led by Gaps chief Hamidzun successfully submits the group’s memorandum to the National Palace.
“We submitted the memorandum after negotiating with the police,” he tells Malaysiakini when contacted.
The memorandum was received by one of the security officers of the palace.
selangor protest against syabas 20101205 supporters 02The memorandum asks the King to intervene over the alleged irregularities that have occurred in the Selangor government.
The memorandum also points out 30 alleged irregularities, including claims that the govenment cheated the Selangor Sultan and that the people have failed to gain RM150 million from sand revenue per year as promised by the Selangor MB.
It states further that Selangor government has failed to manage the MB’s office properly, a result of which somebody was able to hide a camera in Khalid’s office for some time without being detected.
selangor water demo crowd Khalid ibrahim baca kandungan memo12.57pm: In Masjid Negara, the crowd is shouting “Tolak Syabas, tolak BN! Hancur Syabas, hancur BN!”
1pm: The Gaps crowd at Stadium Merdeka disperses.
1.05pm: PKR deputy-president Azmin Ali, Selangor exco Dr Xavier Jeyakumar and Klang MP Charles Santiago are also seen at Masjid Negara.
1.43pm: By this time, about 7,000 people have gathered at Masjid Negara.
Speaking to the crowd, MB Khalid says 250,000 people have signed the state government’s petition supporting its moves to regain control of water in the state.
Syabas increased the tariff by 37 percent last year, he adds.
The federal government should respect the spirit of federation and not side with the private sector and allow them to reap in higher profits at the expense of the people, says Khalid.
selangor water demo crowd 4“The people of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor will suffer!”The state government will ensure the rights of the people will be preserved.“The crowd shouts”Hidup Rakyat!"
2.15pm: Water cannons are let loose on the crowd marching from Masjid Negara to the Istana Negara near the KTM office.
About 2,000 people are caught at the roundabout nearby the masjid.
selangor water demo crowd2.22pm: MB Khalid hands over memorandum with 250,000 signatures to Istana Negara officers. According to Selangor exco Teresa Kok, the police stops the delegation from taking pictures of the occasion.
2.24pm: A second group of about 2,500 that broke off from the first are heading towards Kampung Attap. Police are preparing to deal with this group.
2.40pm: The crowd at Kg Attap are retreating back towards the Masjid Negara and heading down Jalan Kinabalu. The police warn the crowd to disperse or face tough action.
selangor water demo cops at masjid negara2.46pm: Scores of FRU personnel are standing by near the National Palace to face the protestors.
3.13pm: Scores of people near the masjid are being dispersed by force. Klang MP Santiago in a tweet says he was “caught, kicked around, then let go.”
3.15pm: Selangor exco Yaacob Sapari tells reporters the organisers are prepared to tell the crowd to disperse if the police release all those arrested so far.
selangor water demo water cannonsThe police are currently discussing with Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad on how to get the crowd to peacefully disperse. Dzulkefly tells reporters the police will release 10 people.
The crowd is slowly dispersing, but some refuse to leave without their colleagues.
selangor water demo Deputy police chief of KL Amar Singh, Khalid Samad on far left3.48pm: Dzulkefly asks the police for a fresh guarantee before the crowd disperses. Deputy KL police chief Amar Singh (left) says, “I promise no one else will be arrested as long as everyone disperses voluntarily and peacefully.”
The crowd agrees. A few individuals within the crowd are calling for the immediate release of those arrested. Dzulkefly (below) and Shah Alam MP selangor water demo 05 zulkefly ahmad negotiating with policeKhalid Samad (above, white skull cap) manages to convince the crowd.
“Those arrested, don’t worry - we will work on it,” says Khalid.
Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin says 47 people - including her - have been arrested from Masjid Negara so far, of whom five are students.
selangor protest against syabas 20101205 police arrest 03This is apart from Nasir, Arutchelvan and another activist from PSM who were arrested earlier this morning. The three were released around 1pm this afternoon.
According to Subang MP and lawyer R Sivarasa, however, a total of 52 have been arrested.
4.30pm: Most participants have dispersed, though some are still loitering at Masjid Negara. KL police chief Zulkefli Abdullah tells a press conference that a total of 48 people were arrested.
7.45pm: All but two of the 48 who were arrested have been released. The two remain in the lockup due to failure to produce their ICs.
Selangor water protesters tear-gassed
December 05, 2010
Riot police begin firing their water cannons to disperse a crowd gathered for Selangor’s water rally in KL, December 5, 2010. — Picture by Jack Ooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Riot police fired tear gas and used water cannons on at least 1,000 protesters near the KL Railway Station as they marched to the Istana Negara today to rally against a potential bailout of Selangor water utility companies.
Hundreds of protestors sought refuge at the Railway Station to avoid the police action after they started their march from the National Mosque.
Riot police later turned the water cannons on those who had gone back to the National Mosque despite organisers announcing an end to the rally shortly before 3pm.
The rally ended about 4pm when Pakatan Rakyat leaders appealed to the crowd at the National Mosque to disperse under the watch of phalanxes of fully-armed riot police.
Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Senior Asst Commissioner Datuk Amar Singh promises to release those detained earlier to ensure a swift dispersal. It is understood that nearly 50 have been detained with
most of them held at the Police Field Force facility in Cheras.
“It is our guarantee that they will all be freed. So please disperse yourself.” he told the crowd.
Several policemen had earlier charged at more than 1,000 protesters, some of whom ran to seek sanctuary at the mosque. The crowd has so far remained at the vicinity of the National Mosque after failing to break through police barricades, water cannons and teargas.
The action at the National Mosque began after police had allowed a group of protesters through to deliver a memorandum the Yang di-Pertuan Agong seeking support for Selangor’s takeover of the
state’s water industry.
According to witnesses, police used tear gas and water cannons on the crowd after allowing Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and several state exco members to proceed to the Istana Negara.
“The MB and excos are inside the Istana gates. Submitting the memorandum. Or attempting to,” tweeted Khalid’s aide Tricia Yeoh.
In a statement issued this evening, the Selangor Mentri Besar’s office said Khalid handed the memorandum containing 250,000 signatures to Istana Negara public relations officer Khairi Abdul Rahman at 2.15pm.
The five-point memorandum asked among others that water rights to be handed back to the state.
Meanwhile, Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Nasir Hashim was escorted by the police to Selangor’s water rally at the National Mosque, shortly after being detained earlier at the KL Sentral transport hub.
Apart from the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chairman, two other PSM members who had been detained — Shah Alam councillor A. Sivarajan and party secretary-general S. Arulchelvam — were also escorted to the National Mosque, said Subang MP R. Sivarasa’s personal assistant, Peter Chong.
“The three were officially released and sent in a police car to the National Mosque,” Chong told The Malaysian Insider today.
The three had been held in the morning at the KL Sentral on their way to the Selangor water protest that began this morning at the National Mosque.
Witnesses said the trio were later re-arrested for being in the vicinity of the Istana Negara but police have yet to confirm.
The crowd later dispersed from the National Mosque after PAS central committee member and Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad pleaded with them.
“We guarantee that the last person standing will be freed. So we ask everyone to disperse,” he told the protesters, most of whom were clad in red.
More than 40 people at the rally were detained, said Chong.
“About 40 plus people were arrested. They are being taken to the Cheras police station,” Chong told The Malaysian Insider.
“Dr Nasir, Sivarajan, and Arulchelvam were rearrested, but they were just released again,” he added.
Earlier at the National Mosque at about 1.30 pm, Khalid called on the Sultan to support the Selangor government’s efforts to control the state’s water industry by upholding the Water Services Industry Act
2006.
“We humbly request the Tuanku to uphold the spirit and aim of the Water Services Industry Act 2006, which is to restructure the water services industry into one that is holistic and managed by the Selangor state government. We call upon Tuanku to remind the federal government of this,” he said in a speech at the National Mosque.
The Selangor mentri besar further accused Putrajaya of practising cronyism by backing the water concessionaires.
“It is the perception of the people that the federal government sides with the private sector, in this case a particular company, which is equivalent to cronyism,” said Khalid.
“The rakyat has to now pay high water rates and Malaysian taxpayers are forced to undertake the risk of Syabas’s business. We call upon the Tuanku to remind the federal government of their promise to end
cronyism,” he said.
Dr Dzulkefly told reporters later at the National Mosque that he would inform Parliament about the “excessive” police force used against the protestors, some of whom were women and children.
“It is excessive use of force,” said Dr Dzulkefly.
“It is unfortunate that the police used unwarranted force. We’ll raise this in Parliament,” he added.
Khalid’s administration is fighting for the rights over the water industry and promised to provide the first 20 cubic metres water for free and maintain 12 per cent increase in water tariff, compared to Syabas’ plans of a 25 per cent increase in 2012 and a 20 per cent increase in 2015.
Sources told The Malaysian Insider recently that Selangor water bondholders will urge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to intervene directly in the state’s water restructuring deadlock in an effort to safeguard their bonds from being further downgraded.
The Malaysian Insider understands that major bondholders — including CIMB Principal Asset Management, Hong Leong Investment Bank and Great Eastern Life — have drafted a joint letter to Najib asking the federal government to bail out Syabas with a soft loan worth some RM1 billion.
In the letter, the bondholders contend that further downgrades of debt ratings will put capital markets at risk and will seriously impede the government’s effort to promote its Capital Markets Masterplan.
Putrajaya bailed out Syabas once already last year when it gave a RM320.8 million soft loan to parent company Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd (PNHB) in December to help settle its debts to water treatment
concessionaires.
Selangor’s water players — Syabas, Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Pengeluaran Air Sungai Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash) and Konsortium ABASS — are at risk of debt payment default as water bonds
approach their maturity dates.
The debt service problem started when Syabas was barred from implementing a 37 per cent tariff hike agreed upon in January 2009, after the Selangor government claimed the sole water distributor had
not done enough to reduce leakages which cost the state millions.
This in turn led to payment problems between Syabas and water treatment concessionaires PNSB, Splash and Konsortium ABASS, who supply it with treated water.
Selangor water concessionaires are also already in technical default owing to the shortfall of money in the reserve account.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the reserve account, meant to hold at least six months’ worth of bond repayment money, is currently short by some RM50 million.
This shortfall may double in six months if the current water consolidation impasse remains unresolved.
The technical default triggered a downgrade of the debt issuances by Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) and RAM Ratings Services Bhd on September 8, who warned of further multiple-notch downgrades in this quarter.
An industry source told The Malaysian Insider that bondholders suffered RM457 million in mark-to-market losses following the downgrade.
A statement by MARC at the time urged the federal and state governments to urgently interfere in the water industry’s restructuring negotiations to prevent a free fall of ratings in following months.
By Boo Su-Lyn
(theMalaysianinsider) UPDATED @ 05:17:44 PM 05-12-2010