KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 – Despite the court order gained by the police to stop the protest against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, a large crowd rallied at the Bangsar LRT station here to call on the resignation of the MACC chief following the disclosure of his huge shareholdings in two public listed companies.
While the police turned up at the scene, urging the protesters to leave and inform them that they have a court order calling them to stop the protest, apart from some arguments the situation remained generally quite peaceful and without any untoward incidents at at noon.
Meanwhile, several parties have called on the police not to suppress the demonstration.
Among them, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang called on Inspector General of Police Acryl Sani to ensure that the police facilitate the demonstration and not put Malaysia in further bad light in the international arena.
He said Azam Baki had precipitated the anti-corruption demonstration “because he has not been able to be the prime example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service, refusing to comply with the MACC Act 2009 as well as to be answerable to Parliament.”
He also called on the police to transform itself from an instrument of state repression and to be the guardian of democracy, human rights and an anti-corruption campaign.
Meanwhile, a lawyer with the Gerakan Guaman Rakyat said some of its lawyers were at the rally to be on standby to offer their pro-bono services to any students detained during the protest.
He said the protesters could face police action if they proceeded to move on to Brickfields.
–WE