No road closures in KL ahead of anti-Anwar rally, say cops
PETALING JAYA : Police will not be closing any roads in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the anti-Anwar Ibrahim rally on Saturday, which is expected to have 10,000 to 15,000 participants.
Acting Kuala Lumpur police chief Usuf Jan Mohamad said they had been notified about the rally by PAS Youth, with NGOs, students and members of the public expected to be in attendance.
He said the participants will gather at Masjid Negara, Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad, Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru and the Sogo shopping complex before marching to Dataran Merdeka.
To ensure the safety of public transport users, additional personnel will be deployed at the various LRT, MRT and monorail stations within the city centre.
'This is to ensure that the gathering will not affect public transport services or economic stability. We also advise public transport operators to take precautionary measures to ensure public safety.
'We expect traffic congestion towards the city centre. However, we will not carry out any road closures. Instead, personnel will be deployed to control and monitor traffic,' he said in a statement.
Usuf reminded those joining the rally not to bring sharp objects, weapons or flares with them, and to refrain from carrying placards with writings or images that touch on race, religion or royalty (3Rs).
Perikatan Nasional has planned the rally at Dataran Merdeka to push for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's resignation. The organisers expect up to 300,000 participants, although a similar protest in Shah Alam earlier this month drew just over 300 people.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
11 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
LFL rubbishes ex-chief judge's claim of pressure over constitutional ruling
LFL's N Surendran said judicial deliberation shouldn't be mistaken for interference. PETALING JAYA : Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has rubbished claims of judicial interference after a former chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak said that a top judge pressured him to rule in favour of a litigant in a constitutional case against the federal government. Abdul Rahman Sebli, who retired last Thursday, claimed in his farewell speech that a 'very senior member of the judiciary' had emailed him, criticising his interpretation of the constitutional issue at hand. Rahman said judicial independence was not only about interference by the executive, but also about a judge's own peers in the discharge of judicial functions. In a statement today, LFL adviser N Surendran said such accusations were 'plainly wrong' and defied logic, particularly as the senior judge in question was part of the seven-member Federal Court panel hearing the case. 'How can a judge 'interfere' in a case which she herself was involved in deciding? Such a suggestion defies logic,' he said, without citing names. Surendran said unless someone outside the bench, such as from the executive, tried to influence the decision, it did not qualify as interference. He also argued that there was nothing 'sinister' about judges on multi-judge panels discussing cases and circulating draft judgments to persuade colleagues. 'In other words, there can be nothing wrong with any judge suggesting to his fellow judge in the same panel that his interpretation of the law is incorrect, and to try to change his position on it. 'This is part of the usual process of judicial decision-making, not just in Malaysia, but also of Supreme Courts in other common-law countries such as the UK or the US,' he said. Surendran also said it was 'strange' that a now former Federal Court judge was making a complaint that he was affected by 'peer pressure', adding that Federal Court judges enjoy security of tenure and constitutional protection. While acknowledging that judicial interference was a serious concern, Surendran warned against diluting its meaning. 'Judicial interference is a very serious matter. But it must not be confused with entirely appropriate and necessary internal processes of judicial deliberation,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
15 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Turun Anwar rally missed the point, says ex-Muda sec-gen
About 18,000 people took part in Saturday's 'Turun Anwar' rally in Kuala Lumpur, according to police, although the organisers, PAS Youth, claimed a total of more than 200,000 participants. PETALING JAYA : The opposition should have focused on credible alternatives and policy proposals in its July 26 rally instead of focusing on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's failures and demanding his resignation, says a former Muda secretary-general. Amir Hadi, now the executive director of civil society group Mandiri, said he had communicated his reservations to the organisers regarding the use of the Turun Anwar slogan. Amir Hadi. '#TurunAnwar is political. It's a message aimed at seizing power. Especially when Perikatan Nasional (PN) is known for its many manoeuvres to return to government, including efforts to topple a government without going through an election. 'This kind of approach turns people off. At least those on the fence. If you're a party member or sympathiser, of course, you'd want the government to fall. But for fence-sitters, it just looks like a rushed attempt to return to power,' he said in a Facebook post late last night. He said Malaysians might be frustrated with the current government, but were also weary of political instability that could do more harm. 'The fact is, people are sick of politicians. They may be angry at Anwar over various issues, but that doesn't mean they want him removed halfway through his term, plunging the country back into instability,' he said. Amir, who did not join the rally for the reasons given, said presenting concrete policy alternatives such as abolishing toll charges and repealing draconian laws was the strength of past oppositions. 'Even if they've failed to deliver now, back when they were the opposition, they presented solutions,' he said in a likely reference to Pakatan Harapan, which is now part of the unity government. Amir also said that questions about who PN would propose as Anwar's potential replacement were legitimate: 'And they still can't answer who will replace Anwar – even within their own ranks. So how can people trust them?' 'PN lacks direction' DAP's Liew Chin Tong also took aim at the opposition, saying PN had a significant presence in Parliament but lacked a clear leadership vision to be taken as a serious alternative. Liew Chin Tong. He said the Turun Anwar rally might have drawn a crowd, but did not capture the interest of middle-ground or non-partisan voters. 'Almost all were core supporters of PAS,' the deputy investment, trade and industry minister said in a Facebook post. He said PN could choose to be a constructive opposition, such as by cooperating on key issues like confidence and supply, as DAP did after the Sheraton Move. 'Their leaders should know that being the kind of opposition that can only manufacture outrage and anger to manipulate the people's emotions, especially among the Malays, will not bring the country anywhere,' he said.
Malay Mail
41 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
‘Move from worry to strategy': HR minister says AI puts 600,000 jobs ‘at risk' but creates new ones
GEORGE TOWN, July 28 — The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape Malaysia's job market and could unlock thousands of new employment opportunities, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said today He said that over 60 emerging job roles have already been identified, with 70 per cent of them in the AI and technology sector, poised to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. 'So we have to move on from what I call 'worry to strategy,' because the way forward is to ensure that our workers are equipped with the right skills to adapt to the changes in current and future economic trends,' Sim said in his speech at the official launch of the 52nd ARTDO International Conference here this morning. Sim referred to a study his ministry commissioned six months ago on the impact of AI and digitalisation in Malaysia, which revealed that 600,000 existing jobs are "at risk." However, he clarified that this does not necessarily mean these jobs will be lost. 'Of course, some of these may become obsolete, so workers in these roles will be required to upskill and reskill,' he said, explaining that "at risk" means the jobs could be significantly impacted or affected by AI. The study collected data from industry players across ten strategic economic sectors that contribute to about 60 to 70 per cent of the nation's GDP. Upskilling and AI literacy key Later, when asked to elaborate, Sim pointed to new roles like "prompt engineers" as examples of emerging opportunities. 'We need to learn how to work with AI. We still need someone to input data into the AI, and someone still needs to check the structures of feedback produced by AI,' he said. He stressed the importance of two key areas for the workforce: High-level AI skills that cover the ability to manage or even create AI Broad AI literacy: Basic understanding and ability to use AI tools, which he said is essential for everyone, including homemakers, as the technology permeates all sectors. 'So we also want to provide basic AI literacy courses to the public in general,' he added, noting that the ministry's MyMahir portal was developed to match new skill requirements with appropriate training courses. Sim also said that AI is not just about technical skills, but involves ethical and legal considerations. He added that clear guidelines are needed to ensure the progress of AI does not negatively impact society. 'AI is not just about technology; it also touches on moral and legal issues.'
