KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — City police ended last night’s New Year’s eve countdown at Dataran Merdeka abruptly to prevent unruly protesters from causing more chaos, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohmad Salleh said today.
According to Mohmad, the protesters attempted to climb onto the stage after they breached police barriers and swarmed into the historic square, joining the crowd of revelers who had gathered for the national countdown celebration.
“We had made the decision to stop the climax of fireworks to control the situation,” Mohmad told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters here.
Police alleged that protesters even threw bottles towards a performer onstage, and towards Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib when he made a speech later.
“There was an attempt to climb the stage but we managed to control the situation. That was why we stopped it so that things would not turn worse,” he added.
At the cusp of 2014, thousands of protesters comprising mostly tertiary students rallied against rising cost of living near Dataran Merdeka last night.
At 11pm, the boisterous crowd made it past several lines of police and DBKL barricades and streamed into the historic square to join the rest of the revellers at the ongoing national new year’s eve countdown celebration.
About 30 minutes later, the state-organised concert came to an abrupt end and those attending the celebration left the venue even as protesters continued to linger on, filling up nearly the entire stretch of the square.
Police said today that eight reports were lodged over the rally, including two by police officers who were injured on duty—one from a can thrown at him in the Bukit Bintang Area, and another who suffered wounds after he was knocked down by protesters who rushed the barriers.
Despite that, Mohmad refuted that one of PDRM’s officers was the one bleeding profusely in a photo that was earlier posted on its Facebook page.
The police has since apologised on the social media page for its gaffe and taken down the photo, following brickbats from the public over the misinformation.
City police also showed reporters four machetes and three knives found near the Dayabumi complex last night, which they believe to be linked to the rally.
According to Mohmad, the weapons were enclosed in an umbrella left on a flower bed near the building, before they were discovered by an auxiliary policeman who became suspicious over the items.
Police had said late last night that participants of the anti-price hike rally will be investigated for possible violations of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012.
Dang Wangi police chief Asst Commissioner Zainuddin Ahmad also expressed his disappointment that the police force’s “patience” during the event was taken for granted by those attending the rally.
Police estimated 5,000 participants attended the rally, in addition to between 20,000 and 25,000 New Year’s Eve revellers last night, instead of the ten-fold 50,000 figure given by the organiser Gerakan Turun Kos Sara Hidup.
Oleh YDH Dato' KPKL
SAMBUTAN TAHUN BARU 2014.
KUALA LUMPUR 1 JANUARI 2014 SUASANA SAMBUTAN AMBANG TAHUN BARU 2014 BERTEMPAT DI DATARAN MERDEKA, KUALA LUMPUR KEKAL DALAM KEADAAN TENANG DAN TERKAWAL. SITUASI DISELURUH KUALA LUMPUR ADALAH SELAMAT TERKAWAL.
POLIS KUALA LUMPUR TELAH MENERIMA 8 LAPORAN POLIS DAN 7 KERTAS SIASATAN TELAH DIBUKA SEPERTI BERIKUT:
1) PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI POLIS MEMJUMPAI 4 BILAH PARANG, 3 PISAU RAINBOW DAN 1 PAYUNG TIGER BEER DITEMUI BERDASARKAN MAKLUMAT ORANG AWAM DI CELAH POKOK BUNGA, BELAKANG BANGUNAN DAYA BUMI, KUALA LUMPUR. SIASATAN DIBAWAH SEKSYEN6 (1) AKTA BAHAN-BAHAN KAKISAN, MELECUR DAN SENJATA SALAH.
2) PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI POLIS MEMBUAT LAPORAN POLIS BERHUBUNG PERHIMPUNAN TANPA PERMIT DAN PROTES JALANAN DARI MASJID JAMEK KE JALAN RAJA BERHAMPIRAN DATARAN MERDEKA. SIASATAN DIBAWAH KESALAHAN SEKSYEN 9 (5) & SEKSYEN 4 (2) (C) AKTA PERHIMPUNAN AMAN 2012.
3) PENGADU SEORANG PEAGAWAI POLIS MEMBUAT LAPORAN CEDERA SEMASA BERTUGAS AHKIBAT DIBALING DENGAN TIN MINUMAN OLEH AHLI PERHIMPUNAN DI BUKIT BINTANG KUALA LUMPUR CEDERA DIBAHAGIAN KEPALA DAN MULUT DIRAWAT SEBAGAI PESAKIT LUAR DI HOSPITAL KUALA LUMPUR. SIASATAN DIBAWAH SEKSYEN324 KANUN KESEKSYENSAAN DENGAN SENGAJA MENYEBABKAN CEDERA DENGAN JALAN MENGGUNAKAN SENJATA.
4) PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI POLIS MEMBUAT LAPORAN POLIS BERHUBUNG PERHIMPUNAN TANPA PERMIT DAN PROTES JALANAN DARI MASJID JAMEK KE JALAN TUN HS LEE DAN JALAN TUN PERAK KE JALAN RAJA BERHAMPIRAN DATARAN MERDEKA. SIASATAN DI BAWAH SEKSYEN9 (5) DAN SEKSYEN 4 (2) (C) AKTA PERHIMPUNAN AMAN 2012.
5) PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI PENGUATKUASA DBKL, SEMASA BERTUGAS MENDAPATI PESERTA PERHIMPUNAN TELAH BERJALAN MASUK KE DATARAN MERDEKA DAN BERADA DIHADAPAN PENTAS UTAMA MEMBUAT PROVOKASI DENGAN MENJERIT-JERIT DAN MEMBALING BOTOL KE PENTAS DAN MEMBERI UCAPAN. ATAS FAKTOR KESELAMATAN PROGRAM SAMBUTAN AMBANG TAHUN BARU 2014 TELAH DIHENTIKAN UNTUK MENGELAKKAN DARI BERLAKUNYA KEKECOHAN. SIASATAN DIBAWAH SEKSYEN 153 KANUN KESEKSYENSAAN. PERBUATAN YANG BOLEH MENDATANGKAN BANGKITAN MARAH YANG BOLEH MENYEBABKAN RUSUHAN.
6) PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI POLIS MEMBUAT LAPORAN POLIS BERHUBUNG DENGAN PERHIMPUNAN TANPA PERMIT DAN PROTES JALANAN DI HADAPAN SOGO BERARAK MENUJU KE JALAN RAJA BERHAMPIRAN DATARAN MERDEKA. SIASATAN DIBAWAH SEKSYEN 9 (5)& SEKSYEN 4 (2) (C) AKTA PERHIMPUNAN AMAN 2012.
7) PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI POLIS MEMBUAT LAPORAN POLIS BERHUBUNG PESERTA PERHIMPUNAN LEBIH KURANG 500 ORANG MEMBAWA BANNER BERHIMPUN DI JALAN RAJA TELAH MEREMPUH BARISAN ANGGOTA POLIS YANG SEDANG BERKAWAL. KEMUDIANNYA DIIKUTI OLEH LEBIH KURANG 1000 ORANG JUGA MEMBAWA BANNER YANG BERHIMPUN DARI JALAN TUANKU ABDUL RAHMAN TELAH MEREMPUH BARISAN ANGGOTA POLIS YANG MEMBUAT KAWALAN DARI PESERTA PERHIMPUNAN MASUK KE DATARAN MERDEKA. SEBAIK SAHAJA DAPAT MEREMPUH KEDUA KUMPULAN INI TERUS MASUK KE DATARAN MERDEKA. SIASATAN DI BAWAH 186 KANUN KESEKSYENSAAN, MENGHALANG PENJAWAT AWAM MENJALANKAN TUGAS DAN 147 KANUN KESEKSYENSAAN, SEKSYENSAAN KERANA MERUSUH
PENGADU SEORANG PEGAWAI POLIS MEMBUAT LAPORAN POLIS, DIMANA SEMASA BERTUGAS DI DATARAN MERDEKA, TELAH MENGALAMI SESAK NAFAS DAN CEDERA DI BIBIR AKIBAT TERJATUH DAN DIPIJAK OLEH PESERTA PERHIMPUNAN SEWAKTU REMPUHAN PESERTA PERHIMPUNAN BERLAKU DI JALAN RAJA. SIASATAN DI BAWAH SEKSYEN 147 KANUN KESEKSYENSAAN, KERANA MERUSUH.
SEHINGGA KINI TIADA SEBARANG TANGKAPAN DIBUAT BERKAITAN KES TERSEBUT. POLIS KUALA LUMPUR MENGUCAPKAN RIBUAN TERIMA KASIH KEPADA ORANG RAMAI ATAS KERJASAMA BAGI MEMASTIKKAN SAMBUTAN AMBANG TAHUN BARU 2014 SEKSYENITAR KUALA LUMPUR BERJALAN LANCAR
.jpg)
