Thousands listen as Anwar warns government the people are not afraid anymore
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim warned Putrajaya today that the people are not afraid anymore and were willing to come out to show their unhappiness towards the government.
Speaking to more than 20,000 people who came out to protest against the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the rising cost of living, Anwar told the crowd: "we have God on our side, and we have the power of the people".
"We have shocked the government with this rally. It is a clear message that the people are against the GST. The GST that only makes the Barisan cronies richer," Anwar said.
The demonstration was held to coincide with International Labour Day.
He said many people have told him and other Pakatan leaders of their daily suffering due to rising costs and their worry over the impending GST.
The people, however, also used this occasion to criticise the government on other issues, particularly the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which has put the country under global scrutiny.
Earlier the people started arriving at the four meeting points – KLCC, Sogo, Dataran Maybank and Jalan Raja Laut – before moving towards Dataran Merdeka about 2pm.
The rally was organised by a coalition of 95 NGOs.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced in his 2014 budget speech last October that the GST would take effect in April 2015.
It had sparked concerns that prices of goods would soar and add to the burden of the average Malaysian household.
Today's rally was themed "Anti GST – Until it is dropped".
Earlier, in Butterworth, Penang, some 300 people gathered for a rally organised by the state Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) to voice out issues affecting workers in various industries
Demands were made urging the government to scrap the plan to introduce the GST, to give private sector workers an RM300 cost of living allowance (Cola) and to increase the minimum wage from RM900 to RM1,500, among others.
Speakers at the rally in Butterworth included Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, Bersih chairman (northern region) Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon and Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon.
The turnout was not as good as expected by the organiser, Penang MTUC chief S. Ravindran said, because workers feared trouble.
They were under the impression that the rally was illegal because some newspapers reported that the rally had no police permit, he said.
"That is not true. The newspapers that reported it that way did not check with us. We have a permit for this," he said.
LIVE UPDATES:
5.20pm, Dataran Merdeka: The youths started throwing bottles and flares at the media who were positioned in front of them as a march was taking place along Jalan Raja. Social activist Chegu Bard says the youths are not from any of the student groups involved in organising the rally, such as SAMM.
5.15pm, Dataran Merdeka: A fight breaks out between the media and 50 youths calling themselves anarchists.
4.55pm, Dataran Merdeka: Police enters Dataran Merdeka, watching as the crowd moves out. No sign of any disturbance or problems between crowd and the police.
4.50pm, Dataran Merdeka: The rally ends with a prayer of thanksgiving and the crowd slowly disperses, listening to instructions from the Pakatan security team.
4.45pm, Dataran Merdeka: Anwar thanks the crowd for their massive support and advises everyone to disperse peacefully and in an orderly manner.
4.40pm, Dataran Merdeka: Anwar says that former US vice-president Al Gore and some other leaders in the UK have asked him to stay in exile in London while the appeal on his sodomy conviction is pending. "I told them that I have to be here to fight with the people of Malaysia. We have to rise to oppose the cruelty of the government. To oppose policies that make the people suffer."
4.35pm, Dataran Merdeka: Anwar warns government that the people are not afraid anymore... "we have God on our side, and we have the power of the people". He adds that this rally is a victory for the people, and that the federal opposition and its supporters will continue to organise rallies until the Barisan government listens to the will of the people and backs down.
4.30pm, Dataran Merdeka: Anwar tells the crowd of the many people who have told him and other Pakatan leaders of their daily suffering due to rising costs and their worry over the impending GST.
4.25pm, Dataran Merdeka: Anwar pays tribute to Karpal Singh. Takes Utusan and TV3 to task for saying that only 1,000 people attending the anti-GST rally.
4.23pm, Dataran Merdeka: Anwar Ibrahim tells the people that we have shocked the government with the response to this rally. It is a clear message that the people are against the GST, "the GST which is only going to make the cronies richer".
4.21pm, Dataran Merdeka: Tian Chua on stage, thanks the government for bringing people together by implementing the GST.
4.18pm, Dataran Merdeka: Himpunan Hijau anti-Lynas leader Wong Tack tells the crowd it has come to a point where "the people are dry already. due to rising costs. We are here by the thousands, but if we come out in the millions, we have the extraordinary power to bring down the Umno-BN government."
4.15pm, Dataran Merdeka: Ex-Bersih chair Datuk S. Ambiga gives short speech "Bantah GST, hidup rakyat". Thunder and lightning worsening.
4.05pm, Dataran Merdeka: Police helicopters monitoring situation. Thunder and lightning starting and crowd begin to disperse.
4pm, Dataran Merdeka: Machang MP Saifuddin Nasution says in 1998, people gathered to protest against injustice towards Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Today's gathering does not break any law and the courts last week backed the Peaceful Assembly Act.
3.51pm, Dataran Merdeka: Part of the crowd disperses.
3.45pm, Dataran Merdeka: Nurul has a message for Najib: "you are the minority prime minister, so you better start listening to the rakyat."
3.40pm, Dataran Merdeka: Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar says Putrajaya is using the people's money to enrich cronies. Nurul slams the government over the "useless Scorpene submarines that are unable to help out in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370".
3.25pm,Dataran Merdeka: Student activist Adam Ali says we should remember Bersih gatherings, anti-Lynas gathering, where protesters are allowed into Dataran Merdeka.
3.08pm, Dataran Merdeka: PKR deputy president and Gombak MP Azmin Ali says today we are seeing an extraordinary gathering of all ages, all races rising up to the BN government.
3.06pm, Dataran Merdeka: Crowd from Sogo reach here. PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail says women will be hit most by GST.
2.55pm, Dataran Merdeka: PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu again reminds crowd not to enter padang. Tells the crowd that the government did not listen about repealing the ISA until "we had a massive rally, and the same was the case for the reversing of the PPSMI policy. So we need to take this action until the judiciary is free and we all have our rights, justice and freedom."
2.34pm, KLCC: Crowd making their way towards Dataran Merdeka.
2.30pm: Crowd heading towards Dataran Merdeka, chanting "Tolak GST. Tolak Najib".
2.20pm, Sogo: Crowd prepare to move to Dataran Merdeka.
2.19pm, Sogo: PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub says protesters are here to defend the people because Umno and BN are not interested in the people.
2.10pm, Sogo: Subang MP R. Sivarasa says gathering is our right."They (BN government) want to burden the middle class and poor. Other countries tax the rich."
2.09pm, KLCC: Ambiga leads chants of "Bersih, Bersih. Hidup rakyat. Bantah GST!"
2.08pm, Sogo: Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh says people are tired. "Tolak Umno. Tolak BN". Chants of reformasi fill the air.
2.02pm, Sogo: State assemblyman for Seri Setia Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad says Court of Appeal decision last week enabled the people to gather peacefully. "We want to say it clearly to the government that we reject GST," he says.
2pm, KLCC: Crowd chanting anti-GST and anti-Najib slogans. About 300 people are here.
2pm, Sogo: Speech by Mat Sabu. He warns the crowd not to step on the grass at Dataran Merdeka. Those present are chanting "Tolak GST", "Bantah, GST", "Undur Najib, letak jawatan" and "Hidup Rakyat". Bukit Katil MP Shamsul Iskandar to lead the march from here.
1.46pm, Sogo: The members of parliament from Alor Star, Wangsa Maju, Kelana Jaya and Subang are present.
1.43pm, Sogo: Retiree MAzlan Kidam, 59, says he is tired of the broken promises by the government. "Prices of things are going up and now, with the GST, our lives will be more difficult. This rally is to show the government we are not happy with the rising cost of living."
1.41pm, KLCC: The crowd is seated in front of KLCC while being entertained by an unknown singer.
1.31pm,Sogo: PKR Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen arrives. He says: "You can say whatever you want about hudud but people are more concerned about their rice bowl. GST will be a deciding factor in next GE." Some enterprising people are also selling rally items.
1.30pm, KLCC: Dark rain clouds above KLCC.
1.25pm, KLCC: Another group of SAMM members arrive and join the crowd at the KLCC entrance.
1.20pm, Sogo: About 2,000 people have gathered here, chanting anti-GST slogans.
1pm, KLCC: Around 30 undergraduates arrive at KLCC, chanting anti-Najib and anti-GST slogans. Crowd starts to build up with about 100 people already at the scene. They are mostly in red and black tee-shirts with anti-GST scarves and carrying anti-GST and Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) flags. SAMM leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, or better known as Chegubard, is expected to lead the crowd from here. He is giving instructions using a loud hailer from a four-wheel drive. The crowd is growing.
12.53pm, KLCC: Police have put up barricades in front of the Petronas Philharmonic hall to secure the area. A group of policemen are patrolling the entrance to the Petronas offices. The public are not now allowed beyond the barricade.
12.40pm: Although the crowd have started to gather at the four meeting points, the situation is calm. Traffic police are present to ensure smooth flow of traffic. – May 1, 2014.
