Black 14 Dinner Turns Into Illegal Gathering, Say Police - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Bernama) -- A so-called Black 14 dinner organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) at the Sultan Suleiman Club in Kampung Baru Monday night turned into an illegal gathering of what police estimated to be 7,000 people.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman said the people began to gather at 8.30pm and dispersed at 10.30pm on the orders of Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman.

"The application made to the police on April 8 stated that a dinner was to be held and that only three top leaders of the party would give speeches but there was no dinner for the people, only for the party leaders," he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters here Monday night.

He said the three top party leaders who were to have spoken were PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and Sultan Suleiman Club deputy chairman Datuk Mokhtar Ahmad and not PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The gathering was held to celebrate the end of the five-year ban on Anwar holding public office following his conviction on corruption charges. Anwar was convicted of corruption after he was sacked as the deputy prime minister and finance minister in September 1998 and sentenced to six years in jail.

Asked why a permit was required for a gathering at a private club, Muhammad Sabtu said it was not a function held indoors.

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