AFTER the flop of the non-partisan “Demo Rakyat Lawan Anwar (Round One)” in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence in Putrajaya on June 29, more voices of discontent will be taking to the streets to have their grouses heard in the name of peaceful assembly.

A series of three Selamatkan Rakyat Malaysia 2.0 rallies by the Selamatkan Malaysia Secretariat (SMS) have been mooted starting with the “People’s Court vs Judge Anwar Gathering” in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s parliamentary constituency of Tambun in Perak on July 27.

According to SMS chairman Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz, this will be followed by second series rally in Permatang Pauh, Penang on Aug 31 with the theme of “People’s Gathering to Remove the Spirit of Reform from Anwar”.

Permatang Pauh is deemed Anwar’s hometown and political stronghold till daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar surprisingly lost the parliamentary seat to first-time PAS MP Muhammad Fawwaz Mat Jan in the 15^th General Election (GE15).

“The key highlight of the rally will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 16 next with the target of 100,000 participants,” Tun Faisal who was also the former Putrajaya UMNO division deputy head told a media conference yesterday (July 17).

“We want to also invite the PMX to be present to hand over the responsibility of carrying out (future) reform to the people during the Sept 16 gathering.”

The press secretary to the then federal territories minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa further alluded to the fact that the last two chosen dates for the rakyat to express their grouses are symbolic with Aug 31 being the National Day while Sept 16 is the Malaysia Day.

Whatever the case is, below are the five underlying reasons for the “Save Malaysia 2.0” rallies:

#1 - To express concern over the country’s debt burden which has now reached RM1.22 tril as of end-April 2024 while calling for Anwar to relinquish his Finance Minister portfolio.

#2 - To lower the price of petrol and bring down the cost of living which is further exacerbated by imposition of various forms of taxes.

#3 - To proactively fight against corruption and abuse of power ss PMX has yet to implement his promise of separating the powers of Attorney-General and public prosecutor or to release the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from executive powers by putting the anti-graft agency under direct monitoring of Parliament.

#4 - To restore the freedom of the media and the people’s right to speak following Malaysia’s decline in the World Press Freedom Index 2024 by 34 places to 107^th compared to 73rd last year.

#5 - To guarantee of national sovereignty and security in light of the share sale of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) which is wholly owned by pro-Israel BlackRock Inc. - July 18, 2024

Main image credit: Utusan Malaysia

https://focusmalaysia.my/3-save-malaysia-2-0-demos-underway-in-tambun-july-27-permatang-pauh-aug-31-kl-sept-16/