Guan Eng: Mob attack a form of Umno gangsterism

DAP today described the mob attack on party chairperson Karpal Singh by a group of Umno Youth members at the entrance to Parliament yesterday as “disgraceful and blatant disrespect” to the highest institution of the country's parliamentary system.

"It's shameful and embarrassing act by the mobsters on Karpal. The police should have controlled the situation. I don't understand why they didn't," DAP secretary general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told newsmen at his office in Penang today.

Describing the mob attack on Karpal as a form of Umno gangsterism, Lim who is also Bagan parliamentarian said the ugly episode had undermined the integrity and dignity of Parliament - the highest legislative in the country.

"One can disagree with an elected representative's view. But mobbing the MP in the noble House of Parliament is disgraceful and an insult," he said.

'But not by a mob'

Asked whether Karpal had uttered an unparliamentary word by describing Umno Youth movement as celaka (damn), he said since the veteran parliamentarian had stated the remark during parliamentary proceedings, it was up to the House Speaker to take action, if any.

"But not by a mob," Lim said, who demanded an immediate public apology from the Umno leadership over the untoward incident.

During his parliamentary debate on Wednesdat, Karpal has accused the celaka Umno Youth of being responsible for the death threat and two bullets he had received in the mail last week. Following this, the Bukit Gelugor MP was mobbed by a group of Umno Youth leaders and members in Parliament at 2.30pm yesterday.

The wheelchair-bound politician was surrounded by about 30 Umno Youth members who prevented him from entering Parliament Rakyat and demanded an apology from him.

Karpal telephoned fellow DAP legislator Fong Po Kuan, who arrived with a 'rescue team' comprising party MPs to save their chairperson.

In the ensuing drama, Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) claimed that he was assaulted as he tried to help Karpal escape the pushing and shoving by the mob.

Among the mob leaders were Serdang Umno Youth chief Ungku Salleh Ungku Jamal, Gombak Youth chief Megat Zulkarnain Omar Din and Petaling Jaya Utara Youth chief Lat Sharizan Abdullah.

The opposition parliamentarians also complained that security personnel did not intervene until they made noise.

Outrageous act of gangsterism

Meanwhile, the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) condemned the Umno Youth mob for carrying out an outrageous act of gangsterism.

Its local leader RS Thanenthiran also criticised the police for not protecting a MP when he was openly threatened by a group of political mobsters from Umno.

"The policemen should all be suspended immediately pending investigations into the ugly episode.

"The police chief should punish the security personnel for negligence of duty," he said, recalling the police high handed tactics to quell Hindraf rose campaign during Valentine’s Day in 2008.

"Compared with the police lukewarm response against yesterday's mobsters, the police were aggressive and abrasive against Hindraf supporters during the peaceful rose campaign where even women and children were not spared from police brutality.

"This is double standards practiced by the police," Thanenthiran told Malaysiakini.