Protest against the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English.
KUALA LUMPUR: Defying police orders, some 5,000 people marched from the National Mosque to Istana Negara to submit a memorandum to the king to protest against the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English.
Matters came to a head when the crowd, mostly university students and supporters of Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, became unruly.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said police were forced to fire tear gas and use water cannon to disperse the crowd.
Federal Reserve Unit and Light Strike Force members had thrown a security cordon around the palace in anticipation of trouble and when the crowd became unruly at Jalan Syed Putra, they fired tear gas.
The crowd split into smaller groups and dispersed, only to regroup in several other places. Further clashes with police were reported in the Jalan Mahameru area, not far from the palace.
At the National Mosque, where the protesters regrouped, more tear gas was fired and water cannon used again.
Musa said police restored order by 4pm, two hours after the unrest began.
Four people were arrested near the palace while a fifth was picked up near the National Mosque.
Another 119 people were questioned but later released.
Musa said the group, initially led by Movement Against the Policy of Teaching Science and Mathematics in English chairman Datuk Hassan Ahmad and National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, had agreed there would be no gatherings or demonstrations during their discussions with city police.
"They agreed to send seven representatives to the Istana after the zohor prayers but when Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat got involved, it became an illegal gathering and demonstration.
"We had no choice but to use tear gas to disperse the crowd which refused to listen to police warnings."
Musa said the crowd's action had inconvenienced city folk and tourists, causing massive traffic jams at major roads into the city.
Although the gathering fell short of its targeted 100,000 people, Hassan said it was a success as he and Samad handed over the memorandum to a palace official at 2.50pm.
Hassan and Samad said the protest was planned to be peaceful with only seven of them to hand over the memorandum.
"Some people took advantage of the situation and incited the crowd to march to the palace."
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