Malaysians protest against elections at Singapore's Merlion Park, police investigates

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/se-asia/story/evening-protest-merlion-park-malaysians-20130509

A crowd of Malaysians gathered near a Singapore landmark last night to protest against what they claimed were rigged elections in their country.

Dressed mostly in black, the crowd of mainly young people stood at Merlion Park in Marina Bay, holding up signs and chanting occasionally.

They also sang the Malaysian national anthem.

They started gathering at about 9.30pm and soon started to chant "ubah", which means change in Malay, as well as "return democracy to me" in Mandarin.



Five people assisting police investigations after illegal protest at Merlion Park
Five Malaysians are now assisting police in their investigations following an illegal outdoor protest on Wednesday night at Merlion Park.

Police said the individuals are believed to have organised the illegal outdoor protest.

Police said they received a call at about 9.50pm on Wednesday night about a group of people that had gathered to stage the illegal protest. About 100 people had gathered illegally in the park with placards and other paraphernalia.

The police advised the group that such an activity is illegal in Singapore. The group subsequently dispersed peacefully.

Police would like to remind the public that conducting an outdoor protest without a police permit is illegal in Singapore, and stressed that while foreigners -- including Malaysians -- are allowed to work or live here, they have to abide by the laws here.

Foreigners should not import issues from their own countries into Singapore, which can disturb public order as there can be groups with opposing views.

Police warned that authorities will act firmly, adding that those who break the laws will face action, which could include termination of their visa or work passes.

Statement by the Press Secretary on Malaysia’s Elections
On behalf of the President and the people of the United States, we congratulate Prime Minister Najib on his coalition’s victory in Malaysia’s parliamentary elections on Sunday May 5. 

We also congratulate the people of Malaysia, who turned out in record numbers to cast their votes, as well as the parties of the opposition coalition on their campaigns, as a vibrant opposition is a foundation of democracy. 

We note concerns regarding reported irregularities in the conduct of the election, and believe it is important that Malaysian authorities address concerns that have been raised. We look forward to the outcome of their investigations. 

The United States looks forward to continuing its close cooperation with the government and the people of Malaysia to continue to strengthen democracy, peace, and prosperity in the region.