Police have not identified the suspects who punched Umno supreme council member and Putera chief Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim during the nomination process for the Bagan Pinang state by-election this morning.

Negeri Sembilan chief police officer Osman Salleh said police were still investigating the incident after Abdul Azeez, who is also the Baling Umno division head, lodged a report at the Port Dickson District Police Headquarters at 12.30pm.

bagan pinang by election nomination 031009 abdul azeez attacked 02 "We have received the report of the punching incident that occurred at about 9.20am.

"According to the report, the complainant was punched in the back, on the neck and cheek as he was walking past the area where the PAS supporters had gathered. So far, there are no witnesses and we don't know who had thrown the punches.

"However, another man (Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob) who was together with him did not lodge any report because he managed to evade the incident," he told reporters at a media conference.

Speaking to reporters outside the PD Municipal Council, Abdul Azeez said he was attacked by a least nine PAS supporters as he headed for the nomination centre in Jalan Pantai after parking his car.

Showing his swollen neck, he said, "This is not our culture, this is gangsterism."

bagan pinang by election nomination 031009 abdul azeez attacked Abdul Azeez said he and several mno members happened to walk through an area allocated to the opposition upporters when they were set upon.

"They jeered and used abusive words against us. Some of them waved RM1 notes nd cried 'rasuah' (corrupt) but we ignored them," he said.

Ismail Sabri said, "Probably the crowd became aggressive as we ignored their provocative remarks."

He said Bera Umno information chief Mohd Jidi Yaakob's shirt was torn during a scuffle with PAS supporters, who tried to attack him (Ismail Sabri).

Bottle-throwing incident

Meanwhile, Osman said police had so far not received any report on the bottle-throwing incident that occurred during the nomination process.

bagan pinang nomination 031009 taunting Apart from the commotion mentioned earlier, he said the nomination process at the Port Dickson Municipal Council Hall generally went smoothly.

After the nomination process, he said police would now monitor the campaigning activities by the two political parties contesting in the by-election.

The by-election will see a straight fight between BN candidate Mohd Isa Abdul Samad and PAS candidate Zulkefly Mohamad Omar.

- Bernama

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