TELUK INTAN, May 23 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang branded Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today a “patron of hooliganism” after the latter said Umno Youth members were defending the party’s honour in a protest where they threatened arson against the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
DAP adviser Lim expressed shock at Muhyiddin’s remarks made earlier this morning and questioned if this was implied approval for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to threaten to set alight Umno’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
“But we’re not like that; we’re more civilised,” Lim told a press conference at DAP’s operations centre here today.
Muhyiddin, who is deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president, said earlier today that Umno Youth’s protest was a spontaneous reaction in defence of the Malay nationalist party’s honour.
Yesterday, a group of about 50 members from the Kuala Lumpur chapter of Umno Youth reportedly demonstrated in front of the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur over remarks made by DAP’s Seri Delima representative, RSN Rayer, in Penang.
When debating the Governor’s speech on Tuesday, Rayer uttered the words “celaka Umno” (damn Umno), triggering outrage among the party’s lawmakers.
On Wednesday, several Umno members trespassed into the Penang state assembly while it was in session, demanding an apology from Rayer but left frustrated.
During yesterday’s protest in Kuala Lumpur, the group of 50 threatened to burn down the DAP headquarters and reportedly vandalised property belonging to the opposition party.
Rayer remains adamant he will not apologise for the remark, saying yesterday that he has been called worse by Umno leaders.
Today, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who was also at press conference, said he would not allow state lawmakers to make rude comments in the legislative assembly, nor permit an intrusion into the assembly.
“Everyone should respect each other and we believe that through constructive communication, it will achieve a lot more than an act of hooliganism,” said Khalid.
