(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-11-10 19:05

"The people's right"

Mohamadiah Sohod, 33, a government worker from southern Johor state, said he was upset because police had refused to issue a permit for the rally. "This is the people's right, to assemble and air their grievances," he added.

Police detained about a dozen protesters and effectively shut down the city centre, throwing up barricades on main roads to halt cars and turn away protesters, witnesses said.

"We will not hesitate to take action against those who defied our orders," state news agency Bernama quoted city police chief Zul Hasnan Najib as saying before the demonstration began.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said on Friday the government would not tolerate street protests. "They are challenging the patience of the people who want the country to be peaceful and stable," he said.

Previous protests of similar scale were anti-government rallies led by Anwar in 1998 before his arrest and jailing.

The rally was organised by Bersih, a loose coalition of 26 opposition parties and non-government groups that is pushing for reforms to the electoral process it says favours the ruling coalition.

Abdullah won a record victory in a 2004 election, and is widely expected to call snap polls in early 2008.

Two people were seriously injured in September when police opened fire to disperse rioters at a Bersih rally in the northeastern state of Terengganu.

   1 2 3 4   

   1 2 3 4