News on Malaysia : AFP: Coalition f

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>Subject: AFP: Coalition for People's Democracy Formed (fw)
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>Malaysian party and groups launch campaign to demand reforms
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>     KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (AFP) - Malaysian opposition parties and social
>groups Sunday launched a campaign for reforms in a challenge to Prime
>Minister Mahathir Mohamad's rule.
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>"We demand for change. We demand for reform and social justice," Tian Chua,
>chairman of the newly formed Coalition for People's Democracy, told AFP.
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>He said formation of the coalition was an attempt "to create an alternative
>platform to present policies related to politics, the economy and social
>issues which will reflect the voices of the people."
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>Tian said 18 organisations, including the main political opposition
>Democratic Action Party; Voice of the Malaysian People, a human rights
>group; the Women's Force Organisation (Tenaganita) and the Malaysian
>Islamic Youth Council were members of the coalition.
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>Late Sunday the Islamic opposition party, the Parti Se-Islam Malaysia, will
>found another coalition of religious groups and non-governmental
>organisations, he said.
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>"We will fight together for justice," Tian said.
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>Irene Fernandez, Tenaganita's director, told reporters the time had come
>for Mahathir to quit -- a demand made by the premier's ousted deputy Anwar
>Ibrahim until Anwar was arrested on September 20.
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>He was detained after leading a mass protest earlier that day. Along with
>several supporters he is being held under the tough Internal Security Act
>(ISA) which allows for indefinite detention without trial.
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>"He (Mahathir) has to go. There is no doubt about it. People now understand
>what democracy is all about," she said.
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>Fernandez said the coalition would demand the release of all those detained
>under the ISA and establish support groups for affected families.
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>Mohamad Nasir Hashim, chairman of the Socialist Party of Malaysia,
>described the 73-year-old premier as one who feels "on top of the world but
>actually everything is falling."
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>"He thinks he is God. He has become very paranoid to the extent of sacking
>his deputy," he added.
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>Mahathir has said Anwar, who was sacked on September 2 and from the ruling
>party the following day, would appear in court but did not say what charges
>he would face.
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>The coalition said in a statement there was an alarming trend of disregard
>for the rule of law and the principles of natural justice.
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>"The police, instead of upholding the rule of law, have resorted to the ISA
>to arbitrarily arrest and detain the people without trial and have used
>needless force and brutality in the process," it said.
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>The coalition in a 10-point declaration demanded a fair trial for everyone
>and social justice and criticised cronyism.
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>"Nepotism, croynism and corruption by the ruling elite are social blights
>which must be eradicated from Malaysian institutions altogether if we are
>to progress into the new millennium," it added.
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