Cops to act against those gathering near Perak state secretariat building - Star

May 5, 2009 Reports by CHRISTINA KOH, SYED AZHAR, SYLVIA LOOI, CHAN LI LEEN and IVAN LOH

IPOH: Police have warned supporters of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat not to gather near the state secretariat building here when the state assembly meeting convenes.

Perak CPO Deputy Comm Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said police would take stern action against those who gathered illegally near the building.

“All assemblymen and party leaders have been told to advise their supporters to stay away from the building.

“They are also responsible for the actions of their supporters,” DCP Zul­kifli said in a statement yesterday.

He advised motorists to avoid roads near the state secretariat building.

DCP Zulkifli said police have received information that several party leaders had called their supporters to converge near the secretariat building on the first day of the sitting this Thursday.

He added the same call was also found on several blogsites and alternative media.

DCP Zulkifli said police held a briefing yesterday with assemblymen and representatives from the Ba­­­ri­­san and Pakatan Rakyat.

However, he said DAP assemblymen and representatives did not turn up.

He said only state assemblymen and those with invitations would be allowed into the building.

DCP Zulkifli urged all the assemblymen to behave and avoid any un­­toward incident.

State executive council member Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said Bari­san would abide by the police advice to ensure safety for the state assemblymen and the public.

State DAP deputy chairman M. Ku­­la­­segaran confirmed the party was invited to the briefing but chose to ignore it.

”We don’t see any positive outcome. The police have ignored us for 52 years, why bother calling us now?” he asked.

PAS state commissioner Ahmad Awang said the party never told its supporters to gather at the state secretariat building here on Thurs­day, nor was the party organising one.

”But if the people want to gather at the building on that day, we cannot stop them,” he said yesterday.

Ahmad added the party gave its undertaking to the police that its supporters would not create chaos on that day, and would even help the police advise their supporters to disperse if they turned up.