KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Oct: The Chief Minister, Mohamed Azmin Ali, likened the calls by Lensa Anak Muda Malaysia (LENSA) for the people to not be involved in the solidarity assembly for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as something that is strange.

This is because at the same time, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) which is considered as Pakatan Rakyat (PR) friendly, talked about the question of democracy which guarantees the people’s right to gather peacefully as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“This is a democratic process for them to state during this peaceful assembly and this is something that is allowed by the Federal Constitution.

“If they talk about democracy, why do they want to prevent others from holding a peaceful assembly?” Mohamed Azmin said to reporters after attending the Malaysia’s Largest Lion Dance programme at the Viva Home Shopping Mall here at Jalan Loke Yew.

Prior to this, the LENSA spokesperson, Ekhsan Bukharee, in a letter where the recipient was not stated, said that the people have become tired of demonstrating each time Anwar faces a court trial.

He explained that the people’s support towards Anwar has dwindled and there have been hopes for Anwar to retire from the country’s political arena.

Ekhsan said this following the move by the Keadilan Youth (AMK) to organise the ‘Rakyat Hakim Negara’ (People are the nation’s Judges) assembly in conjunction with Anwar’s last appeal at the Federal Court at the end of this month.

Meanwhile, the Malaysia’s Largest Lion Dance programme today was recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records when they held the largest lion dance in the country.

The Chinese cultural dance involved 300 ‘lions’ with almost 1,000 dancers and musicians at the same time.

The summit of the programme will be held tomorrow.

NS