Abide by law, and rally can go on, Ahmad Zahid tells opposition

PUTRAJAYA: The government will allow a planned mammoth rally by Pakatan Harapan against the federal administration on Oct 14, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid said the opposition can proceed with the rally, on condition it fulfills all the requirements under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 - the provision of a notice to the authorities prior to the rally, and the selection of a suitable venue.
"If they can abide by all these requirements, the government, and specifically the Home Ministry, is open to allowing (the rally to take place). If not, then no," he told a press conference after the Home Ministry's monthly assembly here today.
Ahmad Zahid said the Barisan Nasional government would not feel threatened by claims that the rally would attract tens of thousands of participants, claiming that Bersih had also done the same in their rallies.
"We hope the silent majority, who will not join the rally, will continue to support the ruling government," he said.
Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had, on July 24, said Pakatan Harapan will hold a mass "Love Malaysia, End Kleptocracy" rally on Oct 14 at Padang Timur in Petaling Jaya, to campaign against the government.
Ahmad Zahid said Mahathir's involvement only proved that the former prime minister is a man without principles.
"He used to be against any form of demonstrations when he was prime minister and home minister. Now, when he's on the other side, he is the organiser. A person with principles would hold on to what he preached," he said.
At another function, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police would not object to the rally provided the organisers adhered to the provisions in the PAA.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid has rubbished a US report that the Malaysian government had used its national security laws to silence dissenters.
Responding to the recently released "Country Reports on Terrorism 2016", he said the only political arrests that were made in the country were during Mahathir's era, under the now-repealed Internal Security Act (ISA).
"These (political arrests) included me, back in 1998. But under Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, no arrests were made just because of political differences, which means the current government is far more open and transparent in facing these differences," he said.