The arrest of Umno Senator Exam Mohamad Nor during the protests in Penang over Bersih 2.0 proves that Umno is behind the “violent demonstration” said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

NONE “The Penang government is shocked by Penang Umno state liaison chairperson Zainal Abidin Osman’s blatant and open lie that Umno was not involved in the violent demonstrations on July 1 at Komtar and the Penang Bridge, that severely disrupted traffic for 10 km and (whose participants) attacked two reporters from Chinese newspapers,” said Lim ( left ) in a statement today.

He said Zainal should have come forward to apologise for the violent acts instead of denying and trying to “cover-up Umno’s involvement”

“Video footage of the illegal assembly and the arrest of Umno Senator Ezam Mohd Nor by the police for illegal assembly proves that Umno is a coward for trying to deny its involvement and is a classic reminder of the Malay proverb, baling batu sembunyi tangan,” he said.

“Is Zainal going to deny that Ezam is an Umno member and appointed by Umno to be a Senator?

“Ezam had threatened that there is no need to wait for general elections and wanted to do more protests to force me to step down as chief minister earlier.

“Where is Umno’s respect for democracy and my mandate as the rightful elected Chief Minister of Penang?” said Lim.

Police ‘double standards’

On July 1 some 300 supporters from Umno, Perkasa and an NGO named Suara Anak-anak Malaysia held a demonstration in downtown Penang this afternoon to protest against the chief minister and Bersih 2.0.

NONE They demanded Lim's resignation as chief minister on grounds that he had openly thrown his support behind the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9, that the government and mainstream media were actively branding an “illegal assembly”.

Eight protesters, including SAAM chief Mohamed Ghani Abdul Jiman, a frequent critic of the CM who had also once protested against an anti-ISA forum, were arrested by the police.

The Penang CM also blasted the mainstream media for selective reporting of the protests, in particular New Straits Times (NST) for not mentioning Ezam’s arrest or the traffic jams resulting from the protests.

NONE “No mention was made by NST of two reporters being attacked by Umno nor that the  demonstrators had blocked traffic in the middle of the Penang Bridge causing a 10km traffic jam.”

“Both reporters have lodged police reports and provided evidence of their assailants and their vehicles,” he said.

Lim said the police restraint towards the protesters showed their “double standards”, saying they would have been more harsh had they been Pakatan supporters.

He also slammed MCA and MIC for continuing to support the BN partner, that Lim said was so obviously working together with “racist and anti-non-Malay Perkasa”.

“MCA or MIC must fully explain why they still support an Umno that works closely with a racist organisation like Perkasa, that regards our Chinese women ancestors as prostitutes and Indians as beggars and dogs.”