Psm The More You Suppress The More Will Turun

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The government’s attempt to suppress the public from participating in this Saturday’s “Turun Anwar” rally would only backfire, said PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan.
In a statement, he criticised Putrajaya’s warning against civil servants joining the protest, likening it to Mahathir-era crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations.
According to Arutchelvan, also known as Arul, history has shown that such attempts to suppress protesters have resulted in more support for the cause, as seen during the Reformasi and Bersih rallies.
“For very long, we have not seen the Mahathir kind of attack on civil liberties. Warnings, FRU, water cannon, and arrest.
“Now, slowly, some things are making a comeback. Now for the July 26 rally. The chief of staff has issued a warning.
ADS“Now, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has issued a warning. Then, (they) would need universities to issue similar warnings. Next, we need the inspector-general of police to issue a warning and declare the assembly as illegal.
“Don’t be surprised, if you try to suppress the people, then those who don’t want to turun also may turun jalan raya,” he said.
On Monday, Chief Secretary to the Government Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar reportedly issued a reminder to civil servants not to participate in the rally.
According to him, it is inappropriate for civil servants to join such a gathering, as doing so would be inconsistent with the principle of “Loyalty to King and Country”, as enshrined in the Rukun Negara.
The statement quickly received sharp criticism from activists, including Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) director Zaid Malek, who labelled the warning as “unlawful” and a “desperate move” by the government.
He urged civil servants to ignore Shamsul’s warning and expressed the group’s readiness to provide legal assistance to them.
Following this, the AGC issued a similar reminder to government servants yesterday, stating that their constitutional rights have legal boundaries, particularly when participating in public rallies.
It said every civil servant is responsible for complying with all regulations, including the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993, general orders, circulars, circular letters, regulations, and other directives issued by the government. - Mkini

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