MoCS’ Siah dismisses ‘house-arrest’ threat by PBB

By Luke Rintod of FMT
KOTA KINABALU: Undaunted by police reports and calls or threats of house-arrest, the leader of Movement of Change Sarawak (MoCs), Francis Siah said he is unrelenting and that his demand for the resignation of Chief Minsiter Taib Mahmud stays.

“I am more determined than ever. The show will go on,” he said in a text message to friends who asked him what his next step was now that Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leaders want the Home Ministry to put him under ‘house-arrest’ for inciting mass demonstration to compel Taib to quit office.

Siah, who has been in Kota Kinabalu for the past few days, is canvasing for support for MoCs’ Sabah Chapter under the watchful eyes of Taib’s cronies who are bent on stopping Siah’s work to rid Sarawak of tainted Taib.

Siah is said to have met Sabah veteran politicians as well as local activists who are keen to lead the movement’s chapter in Sabah.

The Sabah Chapter is to be led by the Razak Datu Salam, the nephew of the late Mustapha Harun, an independence hero in Sabah who went on to become the state’s first governor then later a powerful chief minister.

Siah has also apparently met with Askalani Abdul Rahim, the former secretary-general of the now defunct USNO.

Siah, who is a former senior journalist turned politician-social activist, is trying to mobilise 200,000 people for peaceful demonstration in various parts of Sarawak to force the ageing Taib to reliquish power.

Describing the plan as dirty, PBB Kuching Youth wing spokesman, Wan Hamzah Wan Paie had yesterday said the wing was against any mass protest and called on the police and other relevant authorities to investigate the movement and where it was receiving its funds from.

Wan Hamzah also called for Siah to be put under ‘”ouse-arrest for his intention to instigate hatred and cause riots which is similar to the Middle-east demonstrations.”

“They must also investigate who is financing his (Siah) plan (for the mass protest). Siah could be a mole of western organisations,” Wan Hamzah added.

Meanwhile PBB Youth Samaharan Youth wing has also lodged a similar report against Siah and MoCS at the Kota Samaharan police station.

Some 30 members of the Samaharan led by its leader Hamzah Brahim lodged the report, while in Bintulu PBB youth chief Pandi Suhaili also lodged a police report against Siah.