Kenapa mereka takut dengan TENTERA?

27 groups call on govt to reject army proposal

KUALA LUMPUR:
Deploying the army to help police maintain order during any public rally would contradict the Prime Minister's statement that security in Malaysia was under control, said 27 civil society organisations.

In a joint statement, they expressed their dismay at a report in a newspaper on Thursday that disclosed members of the police and armed forces were carrying out joint security exercises at the Police College in Cheras and that they were focused on a possible deployment in the Klang Valley in response to demonstrations in the event an emergency is declared.

They said this was evidence that some of those in authority were unable to comprehend the right of Malaysian citizens to peaceably exercise their fundamental liberties.

"Any such proposal to deploy the armed forces in this manner wrongly conveys the impression to both the Malaysians and the world at large that the country is already in a state of crisis or in imminent danger of falling apart. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"It will also make the recent statement of the Prime Minister that the security situation in the country is under control ring hollow," they said in calling on the Government to reject any proposal to deploy the army.

They said a well-entrenched democracy was important for progress and prosperity, adding a free and fair society and an open democracy were crucial to long-term peace and stability.
"We strongly urge the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to immediately assure the Malaysian public that the army would not be deployed in civilian matters and take to task those who are causing unnecessary alarm and concern and seemingly conniving in the disruption of peace and normal life in order to fulfil their personal agenda."

The statement signatories were:

the All Women’s Action Society,
Centre for Independent Journalism,
Centre for Orang Asli Concerns.
Civil Society Initiatives for Parliamentary Reform,
Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur
and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KL-SCAH),
Community Development Centre,
Empower,
Group of Concerned Citizens,
Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas,
Jawatankuasa Kabajikan Mahasiswa/i,
Labour Resource Centre,
LLG Cultural Development Centre,
Malaysian Youth and Student Democratic Movement,
Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation,
National Institute for Electoral Integrity,
Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor,
Pusat Kommunikasi Masyarakat,
Research for Social Advancement,
Sahabat Wanita,
Sisters in Islam,
Suara Rakyat Malaysia,
Tenaganita,
Women’s Aid Organization,
Women’s Candidacy Initiative,
Writers Alliance for Media Independence,
Youth for Change and
the Youth Section of the KL-SCAH.

BERITADARIGUNUNG: refer to the star online.

Bila Tentera turun dengan Polis.......,

Police on high alert in the Klang Valley
By : Alang Bendahara and Fay Angela D'cruz

KUALA LUMPUR: All district and state police headquarters in the Klang Valley are on high alert.

The New Straits Times learnt that a notice on the alert was issued to all the district police chiefs yesterday and would take effect today. According to a police officer who did not want to be identified, high alert meant full manning of the police's state (SCC) and district (DCC) police control centres. It is also learnt that military personnel would be stationed inside the SCC and DCC during this period.

The source also said it was possible that the high alert was in preparation for the mammoth rally protest against the fuel price hike tomorrow at Petaling Jaya's Padang Timur. However, a senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, refuted this claim.

He said the high alert was part of a scheduled exercise to test the inter-operability of security forces and agencies."The exercise is part of the country's security exercise to prepare the relevant agencies in the event of riot, terrorism and disaster."All major countries in the world are conducting similar exercises after the Sept 11 attack. "

He said the exercise was also intended to gauge police resources during wartime and military resources during peacetime.

Meanwhile, civil society groups have issued statements calling on the government to reject any proposal to deploy armed forces to assist the police in maintaining public order during any rally."Any such proposal to deploy the armed forces wrongly conveys the impression that Malaysia is already in a state of crisis or in imminent danger of falling apart."We strongly urge the prime minister to assure the public that the army would not be deployed in civilian matters," said the statement.
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