KUALA LUMPUR – Amanah president Mohamad Sabu has hinted that a larger-scale street demonstration will be held in the coming months to protest the rising cost of living and rampant corruption.
Mohamad Sabu, who is affectionately known as Mat Sabu, said the protest may involve other non-governmental organisations such as Bersih, but did not share other details of the proposed demonstration.
“I will be heading to the streets when the date is finalised because the government does not appear to be listening to us,” he told reporters after attending PKR’s Sidang Nadi Rakyat (People’s Pulse Conference), here, today.
“We will discuss with the other NGO, and if possible, we want to be together with them. However, there’s no date yet, but it will be this year. We are only in the early stages (of discussion).”
He was responding to the decision of police to investigate several Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders who took part in a peaceful protest against the rising cost of living in Kg Baru yesterday.
According to Amanah lawyer Fadhli Umar Aminolhuda, 10 leaders will be called in for questioning at the Dang Wangi police headquarters, and the investigation is done under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act.
It is understood among those to be called in are Amanah communications director Khalid Samad and Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali.
Earlier, Amanah mobilisation chief Sany Hamzan gave the government until July 16 to address the matter, warning that the party will organise a bigger gathering if no substantive action is taken.
“If the government does not meet our demands, wait until July 16 and we will hold another demonstration.”
Meanwhile, Mat Sabu – in response to a question from a reporter – said he would not call for a general election until the end of the current parliamentary term if he was the prime minister.
This was his assertion when asked about the best time for voting if he helmed Putrajaya, amid a push by certain quarters to expedite the polls.
“If I am the prime minister, I will wait until the term ends, which is June next year.”
However, he kept his comment on the matter brief and did not offer any explanation on his comment.
Mat Sabu is the first PH leader to openly express his preference for the Parliament to see out its term.
Previously, on June 16, former prime minister and Pejuang chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that the best time to hold the election would be after the current term ends in June next year.
This comes as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob faces increasing pressure from his own party Umno to call for snap polls.
Several top Umno leaders, including its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, have been pushing for the election to be held as soon as possible, to take advantage of the supposedly weakened state of the opposition.
The current memorandum of understanding (MoU) for political stability between the government and PH stipulates that an election must not be held before the end of July.
Asked to comment if there should be an extension to the date, Mat Sabu said this should be up to the prime minister to decide.
“The MoU won’t end in July. It just says that the election cannot be held before month-end. So, if there is no election in July, then we leave it up to the prime minister to decide whether to extend it.” – The Vibes, July 2, 2022
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