Sept 7, 2000 Marketing officer of the Bukit Jalil sports complex Siti Zanariyah Adnan today confirmed that the application was denied. However, she refused to give the reason for the rejection. When contacted, the sports complex assistant manager of administration and finance Zulqarnain Muhammad told malaysiakini that he has been given a directive not to comment on the issue. He could only confirm that a booking was made recently and that there was "no reason" given for the rejection of Keadilan's application. Saari Sungib, chairperson of the Keadilan Bulan Reformasi committee and organiser of the event, said that the booking was turned down as per a clause in the rental agreement. The sports complex administrative officer, Ahmad Nazri Yusoff, further said that the management has the right to deny any potential users permission to use the complex if they are contravening the law. Anwar has since been convicted of both charges of corruption and sodomy and is now serving a jail sentence of 15 years in total. Anwar's daughter Nurul Izzah was scheduled to read a copy of her father's letter from the Sungai Buloh prison. The organisers are expecting 100,000 people to attend the function.
Keadilan assembly at Bukit Jalil stadium denied
Leong Kar Yen
6pm, THURS: Keadilan has been denied permission to hold its planned assembly at the Bukit Jalil stadium to commemorate the 2nd anniversary demonstration in support of jailed former deputy prime minster Anwar Ibrahim this Sept 20.
The stadium is managed by the Bukit Jalil sports complex.
According the sports complex's terms and conditions for rental, clause four states that the management "has the absolute right to approve or refuse any application ... without giving any reasons".
Saari, who is also Keadilan supreme council member, questioned the cancellation, saying that if other events could be held within the sports complex, then why not a ceramah?
He said that it was only democratic to be allowed to do so, adding that he would now apply directly to the Youth and Sports Ministry for permission. He said that the organisers must get an approval from the sports complex before they could apply for a police permit.
On Sept 20, 1998, about 40,000 people rallied in front of the National Mosque and Dataran Merdeka to protest the sacking of Anwar.
'Bulan reformasi'
The planned rally at Bukit Jalil was to have been part of a month-long series of events called Bulan Reformasi (Reformasi Month).
Others to have appeared at the rally were Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and its youth chief Mohamad Ezam Nor, PAS president Fadzil Mohamad Noor, DAP chairman Lim Kit Siang and PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali.
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