KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — Former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam said today that his Malay martial arts group is organising a rally on September 16 as they can no longer bear the “insult” from the past four Bersih rallies for reforms.
Mohd Ali, who heads the Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan Malaysia (Pesaka), said his group felt compelled to stage the rally after country’s Rukun Negara or national principles were allegedly insulted in the Bersih rallies.
“Pesaka was asked what have we done all these while when the Rukun Negara principles have been insulted from last time since Bersih 1, Bersih 2, Bersih 3.0 and Bersih 4,” he said in the group’s first press conference on the rally next Wednesday.
He said Pesaka had in the past staged protests, lodged police reports, issued press statements and gathered near mosques, but lamented the insults had continued.
The Umno senator had listed down the national principles including upholding the constitution, the rule of law, as well as good behaviour and morality.
Mohd Ali also spoke of how national leaders were insulted when photos of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang were allegedly stepped on last month during the Bersih 4 rally.
He questioned the need to insult these leaders to the extent of stomping on their photos, instead of waiting for the next polls to vote them out.
He explained that Pesaka initially remained silent as it did not want to quarrel, but said it could no longer tolerate the continued challenge of their dignity.
“We let it go for the first time, the second time, the third time, and now it is the fourth. If we allow it to go to the fifth time, where goes our dignity?” he asked, adding that Pesaka organised the rally as it has as much a right to do so in Kuala Lumpur like the Bersih rally-goers.
In the same press conference, Mohd Ali said upholding the Federal Constitution is based on democratically electing leaders, arguing that Malaysians unhappy with the current leadership should not choose to topple it through demonstrations.
He also pointed to Iraq, Egypt, Yemen and Sudan where their citizens were made to flee the country after toppling of their governments, asking if Malaysia wants to follow such a model.
“If they topple the government through the street rally system, tomorrow I can also march to ask the Selangor government to be toppled, to ask the Penang government to be toppled. Is this good?
“Look at what happened in Thailand, until today the problem is not solved. That’s why we must go back to noble values,” he said as he urged for a return to the national principles to ensure peace in the country.
Mohd Ali said today that the “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu” is open to all Malaysians, but said there is no requirement to wear red.
The planned rally by Pesaka is seen as a counter-rally to the Bersih 4 rally for institutional reforms that was carried out peacefully on August 29 and August 30.
