'Police have got better things to do' - IGP on vigil for Anwar

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has asked Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her supporters to reconsider their plan to gather in front of the Sungai Buloh Prison tonight.

He said he would ask his officers to negotiate with Wan Azizah's people to stop the event from taking place.

“When they gather, the police have to allocate resources for monitoring. If the gathering goes on, we will have to use a lot of resources to ensure things stay peaceful.

“The police have much more important things to do than take care of Wan Azizah and her people outside of jail. I hope she will think rationally in this matter,” Khalid said.

He said the PKR president did not apply for any permit for the assembly.

“An assembly must be held in a suitable place. In this case, the gathering will not only obstruct traffic but the work of the Prisons Department staff as well.

“For a permit to be approved, the venue must give their permission, based on the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012,” Khalid told Astro AWANI when contacted.

Last night, Wan Azizah had told reporters that a vigil will be held every night beginning from tonight in front of the Sungai Buloh Prison to show solidarity for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The vigil was one of three instant measures taken by the party – the other two being filing a motion in Parliament to criticise the conduct of the Federal Court judges who presided in Anwar’s second sodomy case, and to hold hajat prayers in all PKR branches nationwide on Thursday night.

The Federal Court had, on Tuesday, rejected Anwar’s final appeal to set aside his conviction for sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 30, in 2008. The five-judge panel, led by Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Arifin Zakaria, also upheld the High Court’s five-year jail sentence on Anwar.