48 DETAINED IN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY AT NATIONAL MOSQUE

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- The police detained 48 people to facilitate
investigations into an unlawful assembly at the National Mosque here Sunday.

The group had gathered at the mosque as a show of support over Selangor
Chief Minister Abdul Khalid Ibrahim handing over a memorandum on the issue of
restructuring the Selangor water supply industry, to the National Palace.

Abdul Khalid had sought intervention by the King Tuanku Mizan
Zainal Abidin on the issue when he handed over the memorandum to National Palace
Press Officer Khairi Abdul Rahman at 2.15pm.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulkifli Abdullah said the men were detained
under Section 27 (5) of the Police Act, but later released on police bail.

He said the group, comprising graduates and opposition political parties
members, began to assemble there about noon.

However, it turned unruly about an hour later, forcing the police to
order them to disperse.

Police were forced to use tear gas cannisters and water cannons when the
group turned unruly.

"Some of them threw stones at the police, forcing the police to use tear gas
and water cannon to force them to disperse," Zulkifli told a media conference at
the city police headquarters here.

He said he regretted the action of the group for not heeding the police
directive to disperse as they were not issued a permit to assemble there.

On a similar assembly held at the Merdeka Stadium, he said about 150 members
of the Joint Anti-Fraud Selangor (GAPS) movement participated in the gathering
but they dispersed when ordered to do so by the police.

-- BERNAMA