PUTRAJAYA, July 7 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described the "One Million People Protest Rally" organised by the opposition in Petaling Jaya yesterday as a failure because of the poor turnout.
The deputy prime minister said the rally had failed to achieve its target of 1 million people.
"The people did not turn up in the numbers expected. Only the hardcore supporters were there," he told reporters after launching the Settlers Day celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre today.
He was asked to comment on the rally to protest the fuel price increase which was held at the Kelana Jaya Stadium.
Najib said demonstrations were not the way to solve problems because they only served to vent one's feelings and did not offer realistic and practical solutions.
"(We need) realistic and practical solutions, achieved not by being unrealistic or having to sacrifice long-term interests for short-term gain," he said.
As such, he said, the opposition's suggestion that all of Petronas' money be used to reduce the fuel price in the local market was unrealistic and would have long-term repercussions on the national oil company.
This was because Petronas would not be able to use the money for re-investment if all its funds were used to subsidise the petrol price, he said.
Najib said the government was monitoring the fuel price hike issue and its socio-economic and political impact on the nation.
The government was always working to ease the burden of the people in a challenging scenario posed by the increasing world oil price trend, he added.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar dismissed as a pointless event yesterday's opposition rally against the fuel price increase where a singer had bared his buttocks.
"We do not condone such gatherings because they can invite uncivilised acts. Do the opposition parties want to encourage such activities? What is the benefit from these?" he told reporters after attending his ministry's monthly gathering here.
"Whatever we want to do must be within the confines of the law. We cannot do anything we like. And, when the police act, they will be accused of being unfair and partial," he added.
Syed Hamid was asked to comment on the behaviour of singer Alak of the rock band Carburetor Dung, who had exposed his buttocks while performing at the rally organised by the Coalition Against the Fuel Price Hike (Protes) at the Kelana Jaya Stadium in Petaling Jaya.
He said the opposition parties should ensure that whoever was invited to the gathering observed discipline and did not act wildly or hurl abuses and slander at others.
"Can only the opposition party leaders make accusations? When others do so, it is assumed to be a conspiracy. And, they have not even become the country's leaders yet," he said.
Syed Hamid said it would be left to the police to decide whether action would be taken against the singer for his misbehaviour.
On the recent joint exercise between the police and the armed forces, he said the training was to enhance their state of preparedness and did not mean that the country was not peaceful. — Bernama
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