http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1199702/1/.html
Malaysian clerics issue fatwa against demos
Posted: 07 May 2012 1448 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
A protester waves the Malaysian national flag during an anti-government protest
in Kuala Lumpur on April 28, 2012. (AFP/File - Saeed Khan
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian clerics have issued a fatwa against demonstrations,
days after Prime Minister Najib Razak said a quashed election reform rally was
being used to topple the government ahead of polls.
Tens of thousands defied a government ban and took to the streets on April 28
to demand clean elections, breaking through barricades and clashing with
police, who fired tear gas and chemical-laced water, arresting 513 people.
"Rioting, causing disturbance and damaging public property are all forbidden by
Islam," National Fatwa Committee chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told state media
late Sunday.
"This also applies to any intention to topple a duly-elected government by
organising such demonstrations," he added.
Najib is widely expected to set a June date for what is predicted to be a close
battle between his ruling coalition and the opposition led by Anwar Ibrahim,
but observers say polls may be pushed back over the rally fallout.
Although video sharing sites like YouTube have shown many scenes of
heavy-handed action against protesters, Najib told state media Friday that the
Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square rally, which was supported by opposition
groups, was aimed at more than just electoral reforms.
"They had the intention to take over Dataran Merdeka, not to gather for two or
three hours but for two or three days or even longer, to show that the
government cannot control the situation," he told the national news agency
Bernama.
"They wanted to make Dataran Merdeka like the Tahrir Square in Egypt," he added.
Federal police chief Ismail Omar told the Star newspaper they had started an
investigation to identify the mastermind behind the alleged overthrow attempt.
Analysts say Najib may delay expected polls following the rally, as his reform
credentials appear to have been dented.
Najib was also hit by heavy criticism of a police crackdown on a similar rally
for electoral reform last year and has since launched a campaign to repeal some
authoritarian laws and pledged to expand civil liberties to regain voter
support.
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