The fracas during the nomination for the Ijok by-election yesterday could have been avoided if opposition supporters had adhered to police instructions, said a MCA leader.

According to Bernama , MCA Youth chief Liow Tiong Lai said today that police had instructed Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) supporters to stay clear of the area where BN supporters were gathered.

He said opposition supporters acted provocatively as they approached the BN area at the Batang Berjuntai Tamil primary school.

"It's a fact that their respective assembly points had been decided much earlier. The supporters were told to head for the designated locations," he added.

Yesterday, the two groups of supporters traded insults and later threw sticks, water bottles and flag poles at each other.

The opposition claimed that two of their supporters were injured during the five-minute exchange.

The police were forced to deploy the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) in order to maintain calm. However, no arrests were reported.

Not afraid of PKR

Meanwhile, Liow said MCA Youth was not afraid of PKR and would counter any issues raised by its adviser Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar had recently sent a letter demanding an apology from MCA Youth secretary-general Dr Wee Ka Siong over statements he (Wee) made about him in the recent Machap by-election.

In a related development, Bernama reported that registered voters in the Ijok state constituency who live elsewhere have been urged to return to cast their votes next Saturday.

According to sources, over 2,000 voters including 600 Indians presently reside outside the constituency such as in Sungai Buloh, Shah Alam, Klang, Kapar, Meru, Kuala Lumpur and some as far as Singapore.

A Selangor MIC leader, who declined to be named, said BN had to ensure outstation voters return to ensure a bigger victory.

If the campaign effort focused only on those living in Ijok, the ruling coalition's win might be affected, he said.

The by-election will see a straight between BN-MIC candidate K Parthiban and PKR's Khalid Ibrahim. The seat fell vacant following the death of its BN incumbent K Sivalingam on April 4.

Fact boxes on Ijok