A video and news report have been circulating online, claiming that participants of the “Turun Anwar” rally would receive subsidy payments for attending.
However, Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN) Secretary-General Wong Kye Chuen denied the claims in a Facebook post, stating that rally participants will not be receiving any RM200 subsidy.
“I completely reject the content”
Wong also urged the public to verify information before sharing it, and not to blindly follow others or fall prey to manipulation by individuals with hidden agendas.
“Regarding the video and news circulating online claiming that participants of the ‘Turun Anwar’ rally received RM200, I completely reject the content. There is absolutely no such thing as a RM200 ‘subsidy’,” he wrote.
He added that the timing of the video’s circulation appears to be a deliberate attempt to smear the rally and mislead the public into believing it was driven by money.
“But the truth is, we saw hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets to protest the Anwar administration’s misgovernance over the past two years, which has left the rakyat struggling and suffering,” he said.
“We don’t pay people just to inflate crowd numbers”
Wong pointed out that, like many past rallies initiated by civil society, the Turun Anwar gathering also saw opposition parties mobilising their supporters, provided they shared the same goals and stance.
“But as a responsible political coalition, Perikatan Nasional (PN) has always upheld basic political ethics during mobilisation. We have never misused public donations, and we certainly do not pay people just to inflate crowd numbers,” he said.
He went on to strongly condemn individuals attempting to discredit the rally by spreading false information, warning that such actions could cause serious and lasting harm to society.
“That’s why I strongly urge the Ministry of Communications and its agency, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), to launch an immediate investigation and take firm action to curb the spread of fake news. This is crucial to prevent further social division and deepen racial misunderstandings,” he added.
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Also read: PDRM Opens Investigation Into Whipping of Effigy Resembling Anwar at ‘Turun Anwar’ Rally
