Several Umno MPs have condemned the attack on the students occupying Dataran Merdeka by a group of unidentified thugs, stressing that there should be no finger pointing at the ruling party before investigations are initiated.

“Although I don’t agree with their views, I condemn the attack against students camping at Dataran Merdeka.

NONE “I hope for investigation, don’t point fingers,” said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (right) on Twitter .

His colleague Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan shared the same stance.

“Thuggery is not an option and must be condemned. You may disagree with their protest or the way they conduct it but you cannot take the laws into your own hands. Cannot!

“(But) why be moronic and blame Umno for last night thuggery? Millions of Malaysians out there despise Pakatan Raykat’s PTPTN policy just as much,” he said on Twitter .

Pakatan should learn from this

Rahman also commented on the video recording of the incident showing three police personnel trying to control the situation but being overwhelmed.

“One was talking on phone or walkie talkie. Presumably asking for backup,” he said.

NONE In a related development, MCA Youth education bureau chairperson Chong Sin Woon hoped that the opposition would discourage the public from holding frequent demonstrations.

“(We) hope the opposition now realises that in their feverish calls to Malaysians to participate in one demonstration after another be it in Malaysia or globally, reactions from their detractors amy arise.

“Ultimately, there are victims caught in between and in this case, the students with the tents,” said Chong.

Chong also accused Dataran Merdeka occupiers of being impressionable and influenced by Pakatan Rakyat, who has came up with what he deemed as an unworkable plan to scrap PTPTN.

'An act of barbarism'

Meanwhile, Bukit Bintang MP Fung Kui Lun also condemned the violent attack, urging the police to publish their close-circuit television (CCTV) footages at Dataran Merdeka and arrest the perpetrators immediately.

“The students employed non-violent means to protest against the government. It was only a sit-in, so why they were attacked?”

“Why couldn’t the policemen who were at the scene protect the rakyat?” Fung asked.

NONE PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, on the other hand, described the assault as “an act of barbarism by a group of unscrupulous thugs”.

In a hard-hitting statement, Nasrudin lashed out at the police, who are based just a stone's throw away from Dataran Merdeka , but yet failed to react accordingly.

“If those who camp at an open area like Dataran Merdeka cannot be spared from the threat of gang violence, what guarantee is there for the safety of the people who stay in the countryside and in far-flung villages?”

He also blamed the government for showing its “bad role model” before, with the use of the police force, Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and water cannons against peaceful protesters.

“I am not surprised as certain quarter of the society is now emulating the police’s thuggish act in confronting the student protesters,” Nasrudin added.