[PAS mengambil langkah berlembut sedikit dalam menyanggah larangan ceramah. Presiden PAS, Fadzil Nor berhajat untuk menemui Dollah Badawi untuk membincangkan larangan ceramah serta pengharaman VCD ceramah politik. Awalnya PAS bercadang untuk melanggar larangnan ceramah itu tetapi penangkapan beberapa pemimpin akar-umbinya menyebabkan PAS menukar sedikit tektik. Ceramah akan diteruskan tetapi selama 15 minit dan ia akan ditamatkan bila diarah polis. Ini diharap dapat 'mencuri' masa dan mendapat simpati rakyat.

STS melapurkan kerajaan berhasrat untuk menyediakan kertas-putih mengenai KMM. Tetapi dalam kertas Putih memali dulu, kerajaan menuduh kumpulan Ibrahim Libya sebagai kumpulan songsang (devianist) - padahal kenyataan ini jelas bercanggah dengan pendapat Majlis Ugama Islam Kedah sendiri. Sebenarnya yang perlu dibentangkan bukannya kertas putih tetapi bukti dan pendakwaan. Selagi tiada pengadilan seribu kertas putih pun tidak akan mampu memadamkan keraguan. Kronologi Memali dari sumber polis sendiri menunjukkan kerajaan berniat jahat mahu membunuh Ibrahim Libya dengan memabukkan polis bertopeng sebelum serangan dan menipu kununnya madrasah Ibrahim Libya adalah tempat komunis bersarang. Sampai hari ini kes ini sengaja diperap tetapi ia tidak akan hilang kerana syahid itu nyawanya panjang.....

Rujuk KM2 3154: Kronologi Memali - Rahsia PDrM - Editor]

http://www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/29081502.htm

thr 002 Malaysia-Rallies /WRD/

Malaysia's Islamic-based party softens approach to ban on rallies

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 20, IRNA -- The Malaysia's opposition, the Islamic- based Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) has decided to take a less confrontational stand against the nationwide ban on political rallies, aware that the recent activities of militant groups in Malaysia and the holy war waged by some of its supporters have started to spook the country's non-Muslim population.

Party insiders said that a feature of that new approach was a letter by PAS president Fadzil Noor to Home Minister Abdullah Badawi several days ago seeking a meeting to discuss the ban on ceramahs (rallies) and the sale of VCDs containing political speeches.

"We do not expect the minister to remove the ban. But we want to show Malaysians and foreigners that we are not a party that is militant or who will resort to violence," said a party official.

"Our style is to talk. If the minister rejects our appeal, we will not take to the streets. But people will know that our approach to the matter was democratic. We sent a letter."

He acknowledged that the arrests of nine men, including the son of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat, for militant activities and the bombing campaign by Malaysians in Jakarta had caused an image problem for the party. Nik Adli had on Sunday filed a habeas corpus application in the High Court so that he could be tried in court.

The party official said people had begun linking the activities of these militant groups with PAS - a process that could scuttle a two-year effort by the Islamic-based party to show a more moderate face.

The nationwide ban on rallies was announced last month.

Government officials said the decision was reached because of national security concerns.

Opposition politicians said, however, that the ban was imposed to cool down the political climate around the country and help the ruling party regroup.

Initially, PAS leaders said that they would challenge the ban - a move that resulted in the arrest of grassroots leaders. But from now, there will be a softer approach. Said a party insider: 'Our speakers will speak for 15 minutes.

The minute the police orders us to stop, we will stop. But for at least 15 minutes, our members will get to hear our message.

He added the tactic was also aimed at winning sympathy from the public.

Umno politicians dismissed the idea of a soft approach as another veil put on by PAS to hide its extremist orientation from public scrutiny. They also noted PAS' concern over the ban on ceramahs had more to do with money collected for the party at these rallies than the question of freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, police on Sunday arrested six Malaysian opposition supporters amid a march in Malacca to protest against the government's treatment of jailed politician and former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Among those arrested was a reporter from Harakah, a tabloid belonging to PAS.

Malacca's state Police Chief Samsudin Sulaiman said the six, aged between 20 and 30, were released on police bail after statements were recorded, Bernama reported.

bn/RR End ::irna 08:15

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,1870,65280,00.html?

White Paper on militant group likely

KEPALA BATAS (Kedah) - A White Paper may be published on the activities of the militant Kumpulan Mujahideen Malaysia (KMM), Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday.

'I have discussed this, but we must first ensure we have obtained all relevant information on the group before doing so,' he said. 'Otherwise, it would hinder our investigations on the group.'

Datuk Abdullah, who is also Home Minister, was asked if the government would publish a White Paper on the group's activities.

He said that much would also depend on the police completing their investigations into the group's activities.

If the government goes ahead with the White Paper, it will be the first since the 1985 Memali incident where clashes between a religious deviationist group led by Ibrahim Libya and security forces left 18 people dead.

Asked to comment on Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Hadi Awang's claim that the government had picked on the KMM to hide its weaknesses, he said: 'He thinks he is so strong that he believes whatever we do, it is just to create trouble for him.'

Further, Datuk Hadi did not know the problems affecting the nation's security, he added.

'We have the police and intelligence and we know of all these things happening. We cannot just close our eyes because the group is threatening the nation's security.

'All this has nothing to do with PAS or Umno and, as I have said before, if the militancy involves Umno members, we will also take action against them,' he said.

Last week, Malaysian police chief Tan Sri Norian Mai said police were looking for five KMM members who were still at large, including the group's leader, Zulkifli alias Musa Abdul Hir.

Zulkifli, 35, was described as a government scholar turned sniper, and now on the most-wanted list for his alleged involvement in militant activities attempting to overthrow the government.

The other four wanted KMM members are Abdus Samad Ubud, 62, who was the head of the Mujahideen Council of Indonesia; Hambali, 37, wanted by Indonesian police in connection with an explosion at a church in Bandung last year; Mohd Rafi Udin, 34, of Kuala Lumpur; and Zid Saharani Mohamad Esa, 29, of Perak.

Mohd Rafi is believed to be involved in an attack on a police station and two bank robberies in Klang Valley, while Zid is allegedly implicated in the murder of Kedah politician Dr Joe Fernandez.

Described as an engineering whizz-kid with a keen interest in explosive device wirings, Zulkifli is known to have had sympathies with freedom fighters since his teenage days.