KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today accused Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor of “defending the indefensible” after the Umno secretary-general blamed the opposition lawmaker for provoking the violence that erupted at an event in Johor yesterday.
Lim, who is the party’s Gelang Patah MP, pointed out that it was ludicrous for Tengku Adnan to assume the former was the cause of the fracas when the latter admitted to not having proof, and said the Umno leader should accept that the action of his party members were unjustifiable.
“If you had done wrong just admit it... but Umno is a party known for defending the indefensible... on the surface he should know that what had happened was very wrong and a shocking display of gangsterism,” Lim told Malay Mail Online.
The Gelang Patah MP added that Tengku Adnan’s allegation was was baseless, and said it was unbecoming for a minister to insinuate that the violence was justified based on his assumption of what transpired.
“There is no basis, it is like he had plucked it out of thin air or his figment of imagination and it is shocking to see that the ministers of Umno’s IQs have dropped so low.
“How can you say that. It’s either you have it (proof) or you don’t. You cannot be going around saying you assume. It’s an unreasonable thing to do,” he said.
Earlier today Tengku Adnan claimed that Lim likely provoked the violence that befell a DAP Johor function in which cups, bowls and even a broom were reportedly thrown at him by individuals believed to be Umno members.
Although the Umno secretary-general admitted that he has yet to obtain proof of provocation by the DAP, he said preliminary reports of the incident at Taman Megah Ria, Masai, indicated that the trouble only started when Lim allegedly said something deemed insulting at the event.
Lim said instead of deflecting blame by accusing him, Tengku Adnan should use his power as the secretary-general to probe the issue and punish the culprits.
“The onus is on them to prove that they are not wrong,” the DAP leader argued.
Tengku Adnan had said that the party’s Johor chapter will investigate the matter, but noted that the top leadership will not act until he gets a clearer picture of what had transpired.
Details of the incident remain unclear but eyewitnesses claimed a group of about 50 people threw plastic bowls, cups and a broom at Lim and told the DAP leader to “mampus” (go die).
State news agency Bernama claimed in its report that the Umno members had done so after Lim criticised Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his speech.
News portal Malaysiakini reported that Lim was unhurt at the Johor DAP “Kopitiam Dialogue” talk and was escorted to safety by even organisers.
“They were shouting ‘Balik Kit Siang (Kit Siang must leave)’, ‘Babi (Pig)’, ‘Communist chauvinist’ and ‘Mampus (Go die)’,” an eyewitness told Malaysiakini.
The news portal reported that Lim was to address indigenous people from Sabah and Sarawak working in Pasir Gudang at the talk in Masai.
Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong from the DAP told Malaysiakini that some of those who attacked Lim were Pasir Gudang Umno division office bearers.
