On cue, the participants - who had gathered in front of the PAS headquarters in Kota Sarang Semut - turned on lighters as sign of support for Adam Adli.
The Sultan Idris University of Education undergraduate is being held for questioning under the Sedition Act and Penal Code, for a speech he allegedly made at a post-election forum on May 13.
Banners bearing the words ‘Free Adam Adli’ was unfurled during the rally to call for his immediate release. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, vice-president N Surendran and Srikandi chief Siti Aishah Sheikh Ismail took turn to slam the BN government for arresting the student.
“We
should rise and defend our nation. They (the authorities have) arrested
Adam Adli who was alleged to say that he wants to topple the
government. In fact he called on the people to defend the legitimate
government, accept democracy and not fraud,” said Anwar. “Their action is (meant) to intimidate other people. This is the rise of the young people, we must help to make it happen.”
The organiser claimed that some 80,00 people were at the rally.
Last night also saw rallies to support Adam Adli being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Batu Pahat (Johor). The one in front of the Jinjang police station attracted some 1,000 supporters.Pakatan leaders took potshots at Zahid for his remarks on Monday that it is undemocratic to topple the government through a popular coup.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the allegation that the people wish to change the government through violence is a lie as they have no weapon to do so. “In Malaysia, whoever possesses (unlicensed) weapons can be sentenced to death ... I’ve taken part in demonstrations from a young to an old age, but I have never brought along any weapon,” he quipped.
‘BN should pack up and leave’
PKR-linked NGO Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin also dismissed that claim that Pakatan and NGOs intend to initiate an 'Arab Spring' in Malaysia through street demonstrations. “We don't play with 'spring', it is Umno and BN that play with it,” Badrul Hisham (left) said. He stressed that BN should “pack up and leave Malaysia” as the coalition only garnered 47 percent of the popular vote in the 13th general election against Pakatan’s 51 percent. Anwar called on supporters to attend the upcoming rallies in Terengganu, Malacca and Selangor to show to Zahid and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that they are determined to fight electoral fraud.
Responding to calls that Pakatan should accept the GE13 results and focus on the next general election, Anwar reiterated that the opposition pact would have won Putrajaya if the general election process had been clean and fair. Not only did the BN fail to obtain the majority of the popular vote, said Anwar, it had to rely on the votes of foreigners dubbed ‘Banglaysia’ to close the gap with Pakatan.
“We should have won this general election. We need to defend our victory ... We need to defend the results of the 13th general election and claim Putrajaya. “We could accept (the results) if there were no foreigners and if the indelible ink was indeed indelible. But if you (BN) cannot defend (the integrity of the election, so), don't ever say the election is valid.”
