PKR urges police to act over May 13 threat by Umno supporters
Lee Shi-Ian, TMI
PKR has urged the police to arrest those involved in yesterday’s protest in Penang which saw several placards raising the spectre of May 13-style riot.
Its vice-president N. Surendran, described threats of a racial bloodshed by Umno members as shocking and a blatant act of criminality.
“Umno has clearly lost its senses, it is increasingly losing the rakyat’s support and is now resorting to tactics commonly employed by North Korea,” he said.
Surendran also took to task Barisan Nasional’s Kepala Batas MP, Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, for joining “this criminal Umno mob waving banners and placards which are inciting the public to violence”.
“The crimes committed during yesterday’s protest by Umno include criminal intimidation, public mischief and participating in acts detrimental to parliamentary democracy,” he said.
“Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi cannot afford to keep silent on this issue.
“Police must take action against the protesters because of the openly criminal nature of this Umno mob,” said the human rights lawyer, questioning the police’s silence despite the news of the protest being widely reported.
“This is blatant hypocrisy, Pakatan Rakyat’s previous peaceful gatherings and flash mobs have seen police cracking down in a heavy-handed manner,” he added.
He said the rowdy protest in Seberang Jaya yesterday showed that Umno was now completely intolerant of criticism.
