Blame the opposition
Beh Lih YiPublished: Apr 19, 2007 6:28 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has blamed the opposition for causing a commotion outside the nomination centre in Ijok today.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has blamed the opposition for causing a commotion outside the nomination centre in Ijok today.
He added that provocation has been a way of the opposition's election campaigning.
"They like unrest because when there is unrest and action taken by the authorities, they can accuse the government of using force and abuse of power," Najib told reporters in a press conference at the Dewan Orang Ramai Batang Berjuntai, the venue of the nomination process.
About 5,000 BN supporters and 2,000 from the opposition got involved in a commotion this morning after trading barbs and insults.
The opposition supporters were shouting 'BN corrupt, BN corrupt', which rebutted by chants of 'sodomy, sodomy' from the rival camps.
This then led to stones, water bottles and flag poles being hurled from either side.
The police and the Federal Reserve Unit had to move in to separate the supporters and calm things down.
In the end, at least two PKR members were hurt. One FRU personnel is also believed to be injured.
Khir the eye-witness
Speaking at the same press conference, Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said the commotion was started by PKR supporters.
"I saw the first (water) bottle came from PKR, I am very sure of this," he said.
Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein, who was caught in the middle of the melee, was offended with the opposition's campaign.
"Look at their posters and the very serious personal attacks, how do you feel about that?" he asked in a separate press conference.
He also said that Umno Youth had lodged a police report over the disturbance.
Howevere, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail laid the blame entirely on the provocation by BN supporters.
"This (incident) is predicted. If (Khir) said he saw the first bottle came from us, we also have people saw the first bottle came from them. (Indeed,) we only received the bottles," she told reporters.
Selangor police chief Ismail Omar meanwhile said the nomination "ended smoothly" and that the police acted swiftly to end the commotion.
He also described the incident as "something common".
According to him, there were about 1,000 police officers and FRU personnel on duty today.
He added that provocation has been a way of the opposition's election campaigning.
"They like unrest because when there is unrest and action taken by the authorities, they can accuse the government of using force and abuse of power," Najib told reporters in a press conference at the Dewan Orang Ramai Batang Berjuntai, the venue of the nomination process. About 5,000 BN supporters and 2,000 from the opposition got involved in a commotion this morning after trading barbs and insults.
The opposition supporters were shouting 'BN corrupt, BN corrupt', which rebutted by chants of 'sodomy, sodomy' from the rival camps.
This then led to stones, water bottles and flag poles being hurled from either side.
The police and the Federal Reserve Unit had to move in to separate the supporters and calm things down.
In the end, at least two PKR members were hurt. One FRU personnel is also believed to be injured.
Khir the eye-witness
Speaking at the same press conference, Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said the commotion was started by PKR supporters. "I saw the first (water) bottle came from PKR, I am very sure of this," he said.
Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein, who was caught in the middle of the melee, was offended with the opposition's campaign.
"Look at their posters and the very serious personal attacks, how do you feel about that?" he asked in a separate press conference.
He also said that Umno Youth had lodged a police report over the disturbance.
Howevere, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail laid the blame entirely on the provocation by BN supporters.
"This (incident) is predicted. If (Khir) said he saw the first bottle came from us, we also have people saw the first bottle came from them. (Indeed,) we only received the bottles," she told reporters. Selangor police chief Ismail Omar meanwhile said the nomination "ended smoothly" and that the police acted swiftly to end the commotion.
He also described the incident as "something common".
According to him, there were about 1,000 police officers and FRU personnel on duty today.
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