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Malaysia: Opposition Trying To Stage Intifada Uprising
by Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA (IslamOnline) - Malaysian deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Monday revealed that his government has discovered that the opposition is attempting to stage an Intifada-type uprising in the country, adding that the uprising is for selfish political ends.
The opposition, he said, would move their supporters to go against the government and police in ways similar to the Palestinian's fight against Israeli security forces, said Abdullah, who is also the Home Minister.
The deputy premier feels the Party Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) would stage rallies all over Malaysia in celebration of the release from jail of Omar Mahfuz, a PAS youth wing leader.
Mahfuz and two other activists were jailed after refusing to pay a 1,500 ringgit ($395) fine for taking part in an illegal assembly in April 1997 to protest against the visit of an Israeli cricket team.
"This looks like it is going to be an Intifada, the Palestinian's uprising against Israeli police and troops," Abdullah told a media conference at Parliament House lobby.
Abdullah said he saw no reason for a large-scale nationwide celebration for Omar's release from the Kajang Prison last Friday after serving a month's jail in default of the fine.
The PAS has glorified Mahfuz as a Palestinian hero who went to jail for the cause of Palestine in Malaysia. However, for the Malaysian Vice Premier, the PAS had ulterior motives.
"It appears there is an inclination on the part of the opposition to stage demonstrations when they could exploit a prevailing issue for their political gain," Abdullah said, adding that the ploy would be to first create confrontation between the demonstrators and policemen deployed to disperse them and later provoke the police into retaliating.
"I am convinced Malaysians will not accept this tactic of play-acting the Intifada," he said. Abdullah is not convinced Malaysian police use force to disperse demonstrations as claimed by the opposition.
It was glaring, he said, that the PAS would exploit the Palestinian struggle as a license for the party to stage illegal demonstrations.
For Abdullah, the Malaysian government is truly the fighter for the Palestinian cause. The Malaysian government is vocal on issues regarding Palestine at international forums such as the United Nations and its Security Council.
He said Malaysia would continue fighting for the Palestinian cause until the emergence of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.
The world is fully aware of and appreciated Malaysia's strong support for the Palestinians, he said.
"We've extended various assistance, including financially, and the government's efforts are complemented by public donations to the Palestinian Fund... this is genuine commitment," he said.
Abdullah advised Mahfuz, who is a Member of Parliament, to use the Parliament channel with full freedom of expression rather than resorting to demonstrations.
He said it had been proven that the general election was still the best way yet in Malaysia to make demands heard or to unseat the government, and not through demonstrations.
Abdullah reminded the opposition that police would not compromise on preserving peace in the interest of the silent majority who would rather not waste time with demonstrations.
He said that each time the opposition talked about holding peaceful demonstrations, the participants ended up verbally abusing and acted violently against police who only wanted them to disperse.
"They then harped on police brutality and hurled allegations against the government at party meetings to gain public sympathy," he said.
Abdullah said there was now a tendency for opposition demonstrators to lodge complaints with Suhakam, the Human Rights Commission, of alleged brutality against them.
"It is indeed Suhakam's job to hear such complaints. But I do believe Suhakam also understands the law and police duties in enforcing the law," he said.
Abdullah said that while Suhakam would continue getting such complaints, the police too could register complaints with Suhakam of policemen being assaulted and seriously injured by rioting mobs.
Abdullah cautioned opposition supporters against taking the law into their own hands or going above the law, although they have the democratic rights to support their preferred political parties.
"In being people-friendly, the police too have to be firm when dealing with unruly, rough and abusive demonstrators," Abdullah added.
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