Umno man says low turnout at ‘Turun Anwar' rally won't look good for PAS
PETALING JAYA : Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi says PAS's pride will be bruised if tomorrow's anti-government rally fails to attract at least 500,000 participants.
PAS is spearheading the rally in Kuala Lumpur calling for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to step down, with key opposition figures such as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin set to deliver speeches.
PAS MP Shahidan Kassim has predicted a turnout of between 300,000 and 500,000 people at the 'Turun Anwar' rally, while PN deputy chairman Hamzah Zainudin has claimed that the event could attract one million participants.
Puad said that while the rally's goal is to pressure Anwar to resign, PAS would be more concerned about whether it can mobilise a large crowd of its supporters to attend.
'PAS is nervous – not about whether Anwar will step down or not – but whether 500,000 people will attend,' he said in a Facebook post.
'Around 90% of the turnout will depend on PAS members, and PAS's pride will be hurt if the turnout is less than 500,000 people.'
On July 12, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party was mobilising its members at every parliamentary and state level ahead of the rally.
The rally's participants will gather at five locations – Masjid Negara, Pasar Seni, Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad, Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru and Sogo shopping mall – before marching to Dataran Merdeka.
Police have said no roads will be closed in the capital city due to the rally, which is expected to be attended by between 10,000 and 15,000 participants, but diversions may be made.
Puad, who is also the Johor assembly speaker, claimed that tomorrow's rally would be more effective if Umno took part in it.
He noted how PAS and Umno helped force the Pakatan Harapan government to reverse its decision to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) after a key protest.
The anti-ICERD rally in December 2018, which was organised by a coalition of Umno, PAS and Malay-Muslim NGOs, saw more than 30,000 participants gather at Dataran Merdeka. They claimed that ICERD was a threat to Malay rights and Islam.
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