KUALA LUMPUR – Police will rope in 13 individuals allegedly involved in the #ManaKapalLCS protest today over the government’s handling of the Navy’s littoral combat ship (LCS) project in Kuala Lumpur today.
Dang Wangi police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya said in a statement that the assembly outside the Sogo shopping complex on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman this afternoon did not abide by provisions in the law.
He said preliminary investigations found that at least 60 people from non-governmental organisations, student bodies, and political parties had taken part in the protest.
“They were also seen holding placards and banners with the words ‘national security under threat’, ‘TLDM’s readiness affected’, ‘H20 should resign’, ‘Probe where are the ships!’, ‘Where are the LCS ships’, and so on.”
He said police have opened investigations under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, adding that at least 13 individuals have been identified.
Noor Dellhan said the protestors would be called to the Dang Wangi police station to have their statements recorded.
“The public is advised to not be involved in any violation of the law and stern action will be taken under existing provisions,” he said.
Close to 200 people protested the government’s mishandling of the LCS project at a street rally, which ended peacefully and without any arrests.
The rally ended after one and a half hours and saw protesters shouting slogans while police kept a watchful eye but did not intervene.
Several speakers, including Muda president Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, Muda information chief Luqman Long, and PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad criticised the government for spending RM6 billion of taxpayer money on the project to build six ships, which have not been delivered even after the deadline for the first few passed.
Today’s protest followed the release of a report on the project by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee last Thursday, in which recommendations were made for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to take legal action against those responsible for the alleged scandal. – The Vibes, August 14, 2022
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