Capital tense ahead of Malaysian no-confidence motion
Updated
Malaysian police have put up road blocks in Kuala Lumpur, as authorities brace for protests ahead of a possible debate of no-confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi later today.
The opposition called for the debate after Prime Minister Abdullah said he would remain in office until mid-2010 despite the National Front coalition's poor showing in general elections in March. The speaker of parliament speaker will decide this afternoon, whether to allow the no-confidence debate to go ahead.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Tian Chua, Opposition spokesman
LAM: Tian Chua, are Keadilan and the Opposition planning demonstrations later today?
CHUA: Well, we have members of public and our supporters are interested to come to the parliament to witness the debate and it is ridiculous and totally paranoia that the government put out roadblocks, as if the whole country under an emergency.
LAM: But, when you say witness the debate, do you mean they plan to go to the public gallery to watch the debate, or will they be congregating outside parliament?
CHUA: Well initial plan is supporters and people who are members of the public who are interested to come to the public gallery to see the debate. And the government construe it as a massive mobilisation, which is as if there will be a security threat. This is erm....
LAM: But Tian Chua, you do see how the situation could get out of hand. The public gallery can only hold a finite number of people and if your hundreds of supporters gather outside parliament, you do see why the authorities are a little bit nervous?
CHUA: Yeah, well the parliament is a public place and members of the Malaysian public should have the right to be in parliament. Now even if there are hundreds of peoples who want to demonstrate outside the parliament and it is a democratic country and we should allow that. Instead, we have the government behaving in a very paranoid manner and to put the whole country at ransom and creating fear and creating an atmosphere of fears in the population.
LAM: So will you now call your people to stay away from parliament?
CHUA: Well, I cannot ask people to stay away from parliament. It is their right. Each individual who wants to come to parliament, it is their right to come to parliament. And the role of the security is to ensure that they will be no unruly situations arise from this. And we have been as a responsible political party, our supporters have been always disciplined and never created any troubles or any actions which is unwanted.
LAM: Tian Chua, how do you expect the debate to turn out? Indeed, do you expect there to be a no-confidence debate?
CHUA: Oh I hope the Speaker will not be siding with the authority, with the government and allow the debate to take place. After all, this is only a debate. It is not going to change government or replace the prime minister. And this debate it is important for us as it serves as a reminder to the prime minister and his cabinet, a lot of their downfalls.
LAM: You mentioned it will not be used to replace the prime minister. So you think Abdullah Badawi should be allowed to see through his present tenure to finish the job?
CHUA: Yes, umm, this debate is important because it is an historical debate and never before in Malaysian history, that a prime minister has been scrutinised and has been criticised in the parliament. And with the new political scenario now, where the opposition controls nearly half of the House, we think that it is important, it is also our responsibility to voice our people's discontent, towards the weakness of the government.
