In a rare display of solidarity, rival Muslim groups today put aside their political differences and joined forces in protest of a controversial forum on the Federal Constitution.

Although they appeared to have a uniform objective, the crowd appeared to have split into two entities - Umno-linked and opposition-linked - as the protest drew on.

Some 100 protesters led by Muslim Students Front (GPMS) - an Umno-linked organisation - were the first to arrive at the Bar Council headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the venue of the forum, at about 8.30am.

convertion forum protest 090807 gpms (left) pekida (right) According to a spokesperson, a total of 19 Muslim NGOs, including Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), Muslim Consumer Association and Muslim welfare group Pekida, were part of this group.

At about 8.45am, another group of about 100 protesters led by PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub marched to the venue unexpectedly.

Jarring chants ensued as both groups yelled two different series of slogans.

Choice of banner and poster mediums were also starkly contrasting. The GPMS-led group used full colour canvas banners, while the PAS-led group used small posters on photocopied paper.

‘Rempuh!’

Despite their differences, leaders from both groups took turns to address the crowd on a common loudhailer.

convertion forum protest 090807 big crowd From the speeches, glaring differences in the two groups' approach again came to the fore.

A GPMS leader who spoke repeatedly stoked the crowd into storming the Bar Council building if the forum does not end by 10am - the time given by the protesters to the forum organisers.

This was echoed by repeated calls of "rempuh" (charge) by the angry crowd.

Sensing the rise in tension however, PAS leaders who took over the loudhailer and repeatedly reminded the crowd to remain calm and sit on the road until the forum is cancelled.

Even the normally firebrand cleric Dr Badrul Amin Baharom tried to keep the crowd under control by setting a more relaxed tone for the demonstration.

“If no one disturb the religions of others, we would leave peacefully. We don’t disturb the Christians, the Hindus and the Buddhists. We urge that they do not incite (unrest) among the rakyat with religious issues. bar council islamic forum controversy inccident 090808 04

“I’m sure even the non-Muslims are not happy with religious issues being played up,” said Badrul Amin, who is also a PKR supreme council member.

Left through back door

PKR Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin however broke ranks with his opposition colleagues when he called on the crowd to storm the building should the forum continue.

“If you don’t hear from us at 10am, you should all storm the building,” he said, before he led a four-member delegation representing the protesters to state their position to the forum organisers.

Zulkifli had participated in the demonstration as a representative from the conservative Lawyers in Defence of Islam (Pembela) organisation.

bar council islamic forum controversy inccident 090808 02 At about 10am, a section of the crowd tried to break past the police barricade but were held back by riot police and PAS maroon-clad volunteer corps better known as Unit Amal.

Other than this, there was no untoward incidents reported. However, forum participants who later left the building were subjected to verbal abuses and obscenities from the crowd.

Forum organisers were then forced to release participants from the back entrance of the building.

At about 10.24am, Zulkifli emerged from the Bar Council building and declared that the objective of the protest had been met as the forum has been cancelled.

The crowd eventually dispersed at about 10.30am.

Watch 8-min video of fiery speeches at the protest