Saifuddin: Opposition resorting to rally due to lack of support for no-confidence vote

New Straits Times

2 days ago

ALOR STAR: Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has taken a swipe at the opposition for choosing street demonstrations over parliamentary channels to express their dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said Anwar had offered the opposition a democratic platform in the Dewan Rakyat, including a commitment to prioritise any motion of no confidence brought against him.
"The prime minister has said he will instruct the speaker to give priority to any no-confidence motion against him.
"So the ball is on the opposition's court.
"He even said that the government's motions would be postponed to allow such a motion.
"But it's already the fifth day of the sitting and there's just silence," he said at a press conference after opening the police's new Child Interview Centre in Derga here today.
Saifuddin said the opposition's inaction in Parliament indicated it lacked the necessary support to topple the government through legitimate means and instead resorted to public provocation.
"If the opposition truly understands and respects the democratic process, the proper channel to remove a leader is through Parliament. But why haven't they (the opposition) done so?
"The reality is, they don't have the numbers... only support within their own circle," he said.
Saifuddin said the government had not obstructed public gatherings and stressed that the right to assemble peacefully is enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
"They want to assemble, give speeches, go ahead.
"But under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, certain provisions remain in effect.
"For instance, children are not allowed at such gatherings, and dangerous items are prohibited.
"If they get carried away, lighting flares and the like, then the police have no choice but to enforce the law," he said.
He questioned the opposition's true motives, suggesting they were more focused on stirring public unrest and tarnishing the country's image than pursuing constructive political discourse.
"They say Anwar must go down. But Anwar has already made fuel prices go down.
"They say he (still) must go down, yet electricity tariffs have gone down too.
"Still, they can't wait for his term to end and are desperate to remove him now.
"So the people must decide: do they want democracy to prevail, or are we allowing chaos to take centre stage?
"At a time when the economy is showing signs of recovery, do we want to spook investors with unrest and instability? Be a responsible opposition," he said.
The Pas-led rally is held today at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur to demand Anwar's resignation.
Police anticipate a turnout of between 10,000 and 15,000 people at the event.