‘Is Umno tacitly backing Himpun rally?’

GEORGE TOWN: A Hindraf Makkal Sakti leader says he sees the hand of Umno behind Saturday’s “Himpunan Sejuta Umat” (Assembly of One Million Believers Defending the Faith) gathering.

Hindraf Makkal Sakti leader P Waythamoorthy claims that Umno is tacitly backing the assembly and he is calling the relevant authorities to stop the gathering.

Waythamoorthy said the assembly was an Umno ruse to stir up the Malay psyche and create a split among Malaysians along religious and racial lines.

He said Hindraf was shocked that the police were so quick to issue a permit for a mammoth gathering that could generate so much anxiety, discontent and disharmony in the country.

He questioned the need to hold a gathering of a million Muslims to defend Islam, which is safeguarded by the Federal Constitution.

“The assembly is not only to woo Malay votes but also to warn the people not to vote for change in the next general election,” said the London-based Waythamoorthy.

PKR , PAS and Umno have officially distanced themselves from the assembly to be held at the Shah Alam stadium.

But all the parties said that they would not be able to prevent their members from attending in their individual capacity.

Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said the party will not prevent its members from attending the assembly.

United against proselytising 
According to the organisers, they plan to gather one million Muslims to gauge the “unity” among themselves, particularly against proselytising.

This assembly comes after the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) raided a fundraising dinner at Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) on Aug 3 over alleged proselytisation taking place.

The matter was taken to Selangor’s Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who decreed that the JAIS report on the raid indicated that its actions were correct and had not breached any state laws.

The Sultan also ordered JAIS to provide counselling to the Muslims present at the dinner to restore their belief and faith in the religion.

Gerakan politician Baljit Singh also questioned the police on the reasons behind the fast-track approval for the permit to hold such a assembly.

“It will be interesting to know on what basis the police issued the permit when an assembly of one million people is a clear security threat to the nation’s social harmony and peace,” he said.