KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- The total number of people who joined the
public rally in the federal capital last month was 22,270 and not hundreds of
thousands as claimed by the opposition, Information, Communications and Culture
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said today.
He said the figure on the attendance at the April 28 rally was arrived at by
the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) by using the photographic blocking
system.
"It was 22,270, quite near to the BBC configuration (25,000) but it was
certainly way off (the mark) from what (PKR advisor and Opposition Leader) Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced to the rest of the world.
"In that regard, we would like to say this: be truthful on the strength of a
crowd that attends any function.
"And the idea of glamourising it to be in the hundreds of thousands is not only
a little bit mischievous but also a big misrepresentation to Malaysians and to
the rest of the world," he said after launching a basic course on the new media
to members of Mubarak (Malaysian Council of Former Elected Representatives) and
Umno veterans, here.
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