Gerakan has been lambasted for claiming that former Kampung Buah Pala villagers could have been behind the burning of a poster of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairperson M Sugumaran said Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon and Penang Youth chief Oh Tong Keong should have checked their facts before shooting off their mouth.

“The Gerakan leaders should have investigated as to who was responsible before making baseless and wild allegations. They are wrong in accusing us,” he said.

gerakan teh tarik forum 301009 m sugumaran Sugumaran said Kampung Buah Pala residents did not take part in the high-noon BN rally outside the Penang legislative assembly in George Town last Monday, although several of them were in the vicinity at the time.

He had led a five-member team to hand over a memorandum to the chief minister at 11.15am that day, to demand that compensation be expedited for nine families who lost their houses when the village was flattened in September.

“We did not know about the rally and did not take part (in it) or stomp on or burn Lim’s poster. We were standing opposite the protestors across the road and watching the demonstration .

“It’s rubbish to suggest that we were behind the burning of the poster of chief minister.”

Calling on the police to expose the identity of the culprit, Sugumaran said that burning posters, effigies or vandalising public property is “not the style” of Kampung Buah Pala residents.

"Even at the height of our protest against the state government to save our village, we did not stomp on, burn or vandalise anything," said Sugumaran.

Investigations in progress

Yesterday Koh said Gerakan will not interfere in police investigations into the case, but suggested that Kampung Buah Pala residents were behind the incident.

Police detained a suspect only known as ‘Mak Mandin Kumar’ during the rally, but released him soon after.

NONE The Penang assembly passed a resolution the following day condemning the 45-minute fiery protest led by Penang Umno Youth chief Norman Zahalan.

Several Pakatan Rakyat Youth leaders, including Lim’s political secretary and Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik, lodged police reports over the incident.

Umno, Gerakan and MIC Youth leaders, who were involved in the rally, have already been questioned by the police.