– Lionel Morais Managing Editor The Malaysian Insider Jun 21, 2013
Federal Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Saleh Mat Rasid hit a raw nerve yesterday when he said that the army will help the police, if necessary, at the Black 505 rally tomorrow.
He was roundly criticised and rightly so.
Use the army against unarmed Malaysians at a rally? Unbelievable!
These are just people fighting for what they believe is right. They are not the Sulu terrorists and this is not Ops Daulat II.
So what exactly is it that anybody thinks the police cannot handle?
There have been about a dozen protest rallies since the May 5 polls and not one turned violent or chaotic.
Why? One reason is that the police allowed the protestors time and space to do their thing.
But it also says something about the true nature of us Malaysians. We are not a violent or mean nation.
Members of the public are no longer perturbed about these rallies.
They know tomorrow’s will end peacefully if the police restrict their duties to traffic control and ensure smooth passage into Padang Merbok.
There is already a track record on this. Look at what happened at the Kelana Jaya stadium on May 8.
More than 100,000 protestors turned up and the only problem reported was traffic congestion.
It was the same at the other rallies across the country.
So, if the protestors are willing to brave the haze and heat tomorrow to voice their grievances in a peaceful manner, why the need for the authorities to talk so tough?
There is no need to turn this into some acid test for the new IGP or undermine public confidence in the police further by talking army. Let’s keep the peace.