PKR leaders to meet police tomorrow to explain Monday night's rally
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Four Parti Keadilan Rakyat leaders who defied a police notice to have their statements recorded at 3pm today at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters on the PKR's Sultan Sulaiman Club gathering will instead meet police tomorrow at the Selangor Menteri Besar’s office. Party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, vice-president Azmin Ali, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his special officer Yahya Sahri earlier refused to turn up at the police station but their lawyer Latheefa Koya managed later to obtain a postponement.
“The four could not be present as they had prior engagements,” she said.
However, city police chief Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman warned the four that arrest warrants would be issued if they do not turn up.
The PKR leaders, he said, were being investigated in connection with the gathering at the Sultan Sulaiman Club here on Monday night.
The four PKR leaders are expected to give statements on the gathering to celebrate the expiry of the ban against de facto party leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to stand in elections.
About 30 minutes into his speech at the gathering, Anwar was approached on stage by a dozen police officers who ordered him to stop his address. Anwar complied and appealed to supporters to take the police orders calmly.
At a press conference earlier, PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail said they were still in the dark as to the actual complaint lodged against the four.
“We speculate that it could be in connection with the rally,” she said at the PKR office here.
Dr Wan Azizah said police turned up at her home in Segambut at 6am today to serve the notice but did not explained the allegations against her and the three others.
Anwar was also supposed to be served with the notice but had left for Abu Dhabi in early morning to meet up with investors.
PKR deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali, who was also present, said the party did not apply for a permit because the rally was held on the club’s private grounds owned by the Selangor Government.
When party leaders met with senior police officers a few days prior to the rally, no objections or issues regarding the permit were raised, he claimed.
“All we discussed were traffic flow and security. They never questioned the legality of the event, even Rela members were at the meeting,” he said.
Dr Wan Azizah alleged that the police report and summonses “smelt political”, pointing out that Anwar could participate actively in politics after serving a five-year ban.
“It is surprising that on the simple issue of a permit for a peaceful assembly, the police took such quick action which is not quite right,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah said even if the police were to give a copy of the report, she and the others would only comply with the notice as and when they are able to make time from their schedules.
On her move to vacate her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat to make way for her husband to stand in a by-election, Dr Wan Azizah said she will do so if that is what members want but there was no hurry for a party EGM or a by-election as earlier stated by Anwar.
Syed Husin said Anwar’s formal return would be brought up at the Pakatan Rakyat convention for its MPs and assemblymen, slated for April 27.
He reiterated that there were no immediate plans for a transfer from Dr Wan Azizah to Anwar although other party leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat had openly declared support for Anwar.
It was speculated before the general election that a PKR MP would resign from his seat to force a by-election with Anwar as a PKR candidate, allowing him to enter the Dewan Rakyat and presumably take over as Opposition leader.
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