Choas at Anwar's ceramah tear gas fired while both Harakah and Suara Keadilan banned.......

Volleys of tear gas were fired into the crowd minutes after Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim took the podium in a ceramah tonight at Bukit Selambau, Kedah.

According to eyewitnesses, the police fired tear gas and unleashed chemical-laced water on about 5,000 people who had gathered in a public field near the PKR election operation centre for the ceramah.

The ceramah, which kicked off at 9.30pm, was to feature a number speeches by top Pakatan Rakyat leaders including Anwar.

“After a 10-minute introduction, Anwar went up on stage and in less than a minute after he started speaking, the police fired tear gas and doused the people with water,” said Saiful Izham, who is Bukit Selambau PKR election director and party’s supreme council member.

Saiful said that no warning was given by the police. The crowd began to disperse soon after but at least 19 people were arrested.

“I saw 19 people held in one truck alone,” said Saiful. He estimated there were more than 200 riot police deployed, backed by two water cannon vehicles as well as five police trucks.

Anwar ushered into operation room. Soon after pandemonium erupted as a result of the tear gas, Anwar was quickly ushered into the PKR operation room where aides sealed the door. Saiful said that the police tried to “break down the door” but decided not to proceed. Anwar later emerged from the office apparently unscathed.

“The police shot 20 or 30 volleys of tear gas,” lamented Saiful.

He said that those arrested were brought to the police headquarters in Kuala Muda.Tensions are high in Bukit Selambau, a state constituency where a crucial by-election will be held on April 7.PKR is fielding greenhorn S Manikumar against Kedah MIC deputy chairman S Ganesan in the contest.

(Malam tadi gerombolan tentera merah telah menyerang ceramah DSAI di Bukit Selambau. Sumber mengesahkan bahawa ef ar yu telah melepaskan gas pemedih mata dan air gatal tanpa henti selama setengah jam tanpahenti. Seramai 32 orang telah ditahan malam tadi. Kehadiran pengunjung yang mencecah lebih 10 ribu orang sepanjang lebih 5 km kawasan ceramah telah menakutkan hamba setan mengakibatkan kegagalan berfikir. Kekuatan ef ar yu ialah sebanyak 5 terak termasuk 2 water kenen dan hampir 1ribu anggota termasuk baju biru dan baju sukan percuma. taklupa juga geng beg sandang.- cedok dari Perisik Rakyat)

Meanwhile,the Home Ministry has suspended the organs of two opposition parties - PAS'Harakah and PKR's Suara Keadilan - for three months, effective immediately.With the suspension, both newspapers will not be able to publish until the end of June, missing out on a number of crucial political events including the three by-elections on April 7.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted in Bernama as saying that the two newspapers were suspended because they had violated the conditions of their permits."This action does not mean the government is curbing press freedom but to preserve peace and harmony in our multi-racial society," he was quoted as saying.

The ministry had also seized nearly 20,000 copies of the Feb 4-11 edition that had the frontpage headlines, 'Perak cabar SPR ke mahkamah' (Perak challenges EC to court). However this latest punishment from the ministry only leaves room for speculations as to why the publication was suspended.

One possible reason could be the publication's continuous negative reports on incoming Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who is set to assume the top post in the first week of April.

source:malaysiakini

FRU mula tembak gas apabila Anwar Ibrahim berucap.Insiden bermula pada jam 10.00 malam. Ramai pemimpin PKR serta pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat yang hadir terkena gas dan pancutan air kimia.Diantara mereka ramai wanita dan kanak kanak yang berada dalam padang tempat ceramah lari lintang pukang.

Keadaan menjadi hirok pikok.Tembakan FRU terkena pada kereta Kelisa kepunyaan saorang Cina dan tempat duduk bahagian belakang terbakar.Seramai 32 orang ditangkap dan 18 orang dari mereka ada lah ahli PKR.Salah saorang daripada nya ialah seorang Senator.

Ketika berita ini ditulis mereka masih ditahan di Balai Polis IPD Sg.Petani.Ramai orang India....Makal Sakhti ditahan.Ini memberi satu kemenangan moral pada PR.Ramai kawan kawan mereka mula mengamok...dan bendera bendera UMNO/Bn dimusnahkan.Dengan berlaku nya insiden ini orang orang cina yang turut terlibat terkena gas serta orang orang India yang menyokong MIC akan merubah sokongan mereka pada PKR.

Ini ada lah laporan yang kami terima.Tembakan gas dan pancutan air kimia ada lah pertama kali berlaku di Sg.Petani. Pihak PKR telah memohon permit Polis untuk ceramah, Permit diluluskan.Tapi pada waktu ceramah hendak di mulakan PDRM memberi tahu permit ceramah di batalkan.2 buah tong besar hampir penuh dengan wang derma dari hadirin juga hilang.Semua alat audio serta PA system dirampas.(Petikan laporan Ranjit Singh dari forum reformasi).

Karpal kata UMNO celaka....memang pun celaka. UMNO talk big and even scared of its own shadow now........... What the gomen gonna do next? Arrest Anwar Ibrahim and all opposition leaders?

Read here,here, here and here.

cheers.