Information, Communication and Culture minister Rais Yatim’s claim over the weekend that those who participated in the massive rally for electoral reforms on July 9 had been each paid RM50 and given free meals drew a stinging response from PAS vice president Mahfuz Omar.
"For UMNO, to get a large turnout to their leaders' rally, you need to provide transport, money, and food. They equate that (paying for attendance) with us (because) they cannot think outside the 'UMNO box'," Mahfuz was quoted as saying by online portal Malaysiakini during a press conference today.
Rais had earlier said participants of the rally organised by Bersih were not interested in electoral reforms, but had been paid to attend.
If true, Bersih would have forked out some RM2.5 million to organise the rally attended by some 50,000 people in the capital.
Yesterday, speaking to TV Selangor, Mahfuz said Rais had "run out of bullets", and said he was stuck in UMNO's mentality.
“He thinks everyone is like UMNO, that one must be paid in order to get something done. So this is the culture in UMNO all along, that every event, such as when they welcome their leaders, must involve payment and transport to ferry the crowd,” he said.
On Rais's remarks claiming that the Malaysian police had been more courteous than their UK counterparts during the recent riots there, Mahfuz had this to say:
“Tens of thousands of people came (to the rally) in Kuala Lumpur, but there was no riot, instead it was the police who went on a riot."
If true, Bersih would have forked out some RM2.5 million to organise the rally attended by some 50,000 people in the capital.
Yesterday, speaking to TV Selangor, Mahfuz said Rais had "run out of bullets", and said he was stuck in UMNO's mentality.
“He thinks everyone is like UMNO, that one must be paid in order to get something done. So this is the culture in UMNO all along, that every event, such as when they welcome their leaders, must involve payment and transport to ferry the crowd,” he said.
On Rais's remarks claiming that the Malaysian police had been more courteous than their UK counterparts during the recent riots there, Mahfuz had this to say:
“Tens of thousands of people came (to the rally) in Kuala Lumpur, but there was no riot, instead it was the police who went on a riot."
