Malaysian solidarity with Egypt: PAS & PSM lead protest at Egyptian embassy
By the Socialist Party of Malaysia
January 31, 2011 -- Parti Sosialis Malaysia -- A last-minute mobilisation and continuous rain did not hinder about 70 protesters from assembling to call for Hosni Mubarak to step down as well as showing support to the brave people of Egypt. The protest and memorandum handing ceremony was led by Mohamad Sabu, from the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, PAS) central committee, and S. Arutchelvan, Socialist Party of Malaysia (Part Sosialis Malaysia, PSM) secretary general.
The group walked a short distance and was greeted by around 50 police personnel in riot gear blocking the front entrance of the embassy. There were no confrontation with the police, who also desperately tried to get a representative from the embassy to take the memorandum. Like in Egypt, the situation at the embassy was equally uncertain as no one wanted to take the responsibility to receive the memorandum.
The frustrated representatives from the political parties and the NGOs then decided to dump the memorandum in the post box while speeches and slogans continued to feel the air. Tian Chua, vice-president of the People's Justice Party (Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR), was present as well as NGOs JIM, GMI, JERIT, SUARAM and Youth groups. Also present was PSM national chairperson Dr Nasir Hashim.
There were continuous chanting of “Down down Mubarak” and “Power to the people”.
Muhammad Sabu called for the ouster of corrupt leaders in the Arab world and extended the solidarity of the Malaysian people to Egyptians as well as Tunisians. Arutchelvan read the joint statement to the media and called this a peoples’ revolution. He said that all corrupt regimes must go. He shouted, “Long live the people and long live the revolution.”
Many speakers also condemned the role played by the United States as the guarding of the corrupt and dictatorial government of Hosni Mubarak. The US has not called for ouster of Hosni Mubarak, who has been their close ally
PAS international bureau chief Syed Azman Syed Ahmad said that if situation does not improve then a more massive rally in front of the US embassy will be held. He said that it is the US can dictate the fate of their key ally Mubarak
Dr Nasir Hashim, PSM chairperson, said that this is the struggle of the common people in Egypt against the elites in Eqypt and the United States. The workers and the common people of the world are with the Egyptian people and the demand change now.