Police warn against seditious speeches as Najib’s critics prepare for March 27 gathering

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar says the speakers at the Save Malaysia gathering on March 27 must not touch on matters of a seditious nature. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, March 11, 2016.Police have warned of firm action against those who make speeches deemed seditious at the Save Malaysia gathering on March 27, where continuing calls for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation are expected.

Those expected to speak are former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and several other Umno leaders who have joined Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the Save Malaysia movement to seek Najib's replacement.

Event organiser Datuk Zaid Ibrahim confirmed the attendance of Muhyiddin and other Umno leaders, and said Dr Mahathir would be delivering the keynote address, which would be discussed and debated by other leaders.

Another vocal Najib critic, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has also confirmed his attendance and participation in the gathering.

But Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said speakers at the event must exercise caution, even if they were speaking in an enclosed area.

“I do not know where they want to hold the gathering. Even if it is held in an enclosed area, we will monitor (the speeches),” Khalid was quoted by Bernama telling reporters in Miri, Sarawak today.

The Kongres Rakyat, Selamatkan Malaysia event is to be held at a convention hall near Shah Alam and will run from 2pm to 7pm, after a resolution is read out at the end of the meeting.

“We have a line up of 18 leaders from all over to speak. Tun (Dr Mahathir) has agreed to give the keynote address at the congress,” Zaid told The Malaysian Insider.

Dr Mahathir is expected to set the agenda for the meeting which will centre on demanding Najib's resignation over alleged financial scandal and undermining of institutions.

This was the main thrust of the Citizens' Declaration that Dr Mahathir led others in signing on March 4, an event which brought together political foes and some civil society leaders in an unlikely alliance.

The March 27 gathering will be the third in a series of Save Malaysia programmes, following the first one in Kulai, Johor organised by Gerakan Selamatkan Malaysia, which is led by National Felda Settlers' Children's Association (ANAK) president Mazlan Aliman, and was launched by former PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa on February 27.

The second event was the signing of the Citizens' Declaration initiated by Dr Mahathir, who also recently quit Umno due to his disapproval of Najib.

Zaid, who was a former de facto law minister when he was with Umno, had previously said the March 27 event would be a closed-door gathering of leaders, wanted to see the rule of law upheld.

He previously told The Malaysian Insider that opposition leaders including PAS's Datuk Husam Musa, Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang had also agreed to the March 27 gathering.

Zaid mooted the idea for the gathering after Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Apandi Ali announced in January that there was insufficient evidence to charge Najib with criminal wrongdoing in the relation to the movement of RM42 million from SRC International and the RM2.6 billion donation into the prime minister's personal accounts in 2013 shortly before the general election that year. – March 11, 2016.