TELUK INTAN Tensions simmered at the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan yesterday afternoon when a fracas broke out between BN and Pakatan Rakyat supporters.

The BN supporters had set up a tent at the town’s focal point while the Pakatan supporters were there for a ‘selfie’ photo session with the DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

The row broke out about 4pm when BN campaigner Faizal Effendi Hashim gave a speech at the BN tent, mimicking PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s intonations and body language.

A former PKR Youth leader, Faizal's speech was broadcast via a sound system with one loudspeaker pointed towards Dyana’s supporters, about 10 metres away.

He also sang a Pakatan song and received boos from the latter.

About 10 minutes into his speech, a male youth from the group waiting for Dyana walked over to Faizal to hand him a RM1 note, as if implying that he is a person whose values can be bought.

A BN supporter then confronted the youth and told him off while several other BN supporters charged in towards him.

This prompted several young men from the pro-Pakatan group to rush towards the BN supporters.

Shouting and pushing ensued between the two groups for about two minutes, with one of the BN supporters shouting, “This is Teluk Intan! Don’t cause trouble here!”

Order resumed when friends pulled back the BN supporters to their tent, while the pro-Pakatan youth were led away from the scene.

Fans swarm for selfies

Later Dyana and Nurul Izzah arrived separately to the ‘selfie’ session that saw a large crowd, alongside seven police personnel who kept watch of the situation.

About 300 pushed and shoved for an opportunity to take pictures with Dyana in front of a large mock-up of a book containing information about the leaning tower.

The 27-year-old candidate spent about 40 minutes taking pictures with her fans, who joined a long queue for a snapshot.

Tensions rose again when about 10 people wearing BN T-shirts approached the photo session and Dyana, but the group left the scene when police trailed and stood close to them.

Photographs aside, Dyana also used the opportunity to promote an independent mobile library initiative ‘Buku Jalanan Seri Manjung’, set up near the tower.

“Why didn’t I want to go there (to the iconic tower) and am standing here instead?

“Because there are books here,” she said, smiling and pointing towards the book mock-up and the mobile library, consisting of books laid out on a mat.

Dyana is campaigning for the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat against BN's Gerakan veteran Mah Siew Keong, with polling day on May 31.


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