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KUALA LUMPUR – The police have closed all roads leading to Parliament this morning, ahead of a planned gathering by the opposition.
Several opposition lawmakers, including PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, are expected to show up for a press conference at Parliament.
The Dewan Rakyat has been ordered shut for two weeks since July 29 after Covid-19 cases were detected among attendees last week.
However, this does not sit well with the opposition, as it claims that the government is using everything in its arsenal to keep Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in power.
Stay tuned as The Vibes brings you more updates:
11am: Police presence is still heavy but crowds have dispersed.
10.44am: As many MPs begin to disperse after Anwar’s speech, some remain behind to speak to the media and create social media posts.
He also noted that several UMNO MPs have written to the speaker to withdraw their support of the prime minister. The government has effectively lost its majority and must now face Parliament for a vote. (2/2)
— Wong Chen (@WongChenPKR) August 2, 2021
10.41am: Anwar slams the Dewan Rakyat speaker in another speech near the FRU barricade.
10.35am: Marchers are blocked by FRU barricades at the junction of Bulatan Dato Onn and Jalan Parlimen, while shouts of “perdana menteri pengecut, undur Mahiaddin, hidup rakyat” are heard.
10:29am: Police are intervening in the march and trying to stop the MPs from continuing on their journey to the Dewan Rakyat.
10:31AM - As the MPs reach Bulatan Dato' Onn, the police appear to be preventing them from going further. pic.twitter.com/fXEuJfwMb0
— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) August 2, 2021
10.24am: Organisers of the march say 107 MPs are present and are making their way to Parliament while chanting “Hidup Rakyat” and “Reformasi”. They are also singing Inilah Barisan Kita as they march on.
10.23am: Speeches are done but crowd is still gathering in Dataran Merdeka.
10.14am: Langkawi MP Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad addresses the crowd.
10.12am: Anwar addresses the crowd, saying: “This government has langgar titah diraja, langgar wishes of rakyat and this government must go.”
10.11am: The opposition MPs are getting ready to start their march to Parliament from Dataran Merdeka. They are holding a banner that reads “Mahiaddin & Kabinet letak jawatan”.
10.09am: Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng’s takes his turn to speak, saying “Malaysia wants to be free of a PM who violates the rule of law. We are fighting to speak for the people”.
“We don’t want to go to Parliament for a vote of no confidence; we want to go to Parliament to discuss the problems of the rakyat.”
10.07am: Amanah president Mohamad Sabu now takes the stage. “Muhyiddin must go!” he says.
10.04am: Semporna MP Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal says: “The king has spoken. The Dewan Rakyat speaker has promised that questions on the emergency ordinance will be answered today. But Parliament is shut, using Covid-19 as an excuse.”
“Legally, we have the right to be in Parliament.”
10am: Jerlun MP Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir says: “They are worried that the PM will lose power and so will they. We are claiming our right as MPs to call for the reconvening of Parliament.”
9.57am: Muar MP and Muda co-founder Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s speaks to the crowd. He slams the closure of the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday and MPs who are still supporting the Perikatan Nasional government.
9.56am: Upko president and Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau addresses the press.
9.55am: Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail kicks off the opposition gathering at Dataran Merdeka with a welcoming speech.
9.45am: Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) trucks are seen lining Jalan Parlimen.
9.35am: After being denied entrance to Parliament by police, about 40 opposition lawmakers from PKR, DAP and Amanah are instead gathering at Dataran Merdeka. – The Vibes, August 2, 2021
