RARE POLITICAL STATEMENT
'(I) never at any time approved or gave any support, directly or indirectly, to any parties that organised or were involved in the illegal gathering or any other activities that violate the law.'
MALAYSIA'S KING TUANKU MIZAN ZAINAL ABIDIN |
KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, in a rare statement yesterday, said he regretted claims that he or the National Palace had approved the mass illegal demonstration which took place last Saturday.
His statement was issued amid euphoria in the opposition camp that it had managed to appeal directly to the King for electoral reform by marching to the National Palace to hand over a memorandum.
The statement, issued through a palace official, said the King 'truly regretted the illegal gathering'.
It said the King and the National Palace 'never at any time approved or gave any support, directly or indirectly, to any parties that organised or were involved in the illegal gathering'.
The statement raised eyebrows as the constitutional monarch almost never comments on political issues.
About 10,000 people defied police orders and marched from meeting points in Kuala Lumpur to the National Palace on Saturday. The rally was organised by Bersih - a coalition of opposition parties and civil groups.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters at one meeting point.
The protesters chanted slogans like 'Long Live The King' on their way to the palace. Many were dressed in yellow, the royal colour.
Bersih also claimed that the King had agreed for a palace representative to receive their memorandum.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has said that Bersih was trying to drag royalty into politics.
But Mr Tian Chua, a leader of opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said that at no point did the organisers say that the King condoned Bersih's rally.
He claimed that the King had issued his statement on Datuk Seri Abdullah's advice.
Asked why yellow was picked as the theme for the rally, he said: 'It is a protest colour. It could be violet, it could be red. Yellow is a bright colour. What is important is that our actions did not amount to asking the King to get involved in politics.'
The police action against the protesters has drawn criticism, including from outgoing European Commission Ambassador to Malaysia Thierry Rommel, who said that Malaysia was living under 'an effective state of emergency'.
Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has slammed Mr Rommel's remarks, saying that he was meddling in Malaysia's domestic affairs.
Yesterday, Datuk Param Cumaraswamy, a former United Nations special rapporteur on judicial independence, came to Mr Rommel's defence, saying that Malaysia had technically not lifted two states of emergencies declared in 1964 and 1969.
kumhor@sph.com.sg
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