It wasn’t us, it was Johoreans retaliating against DAP, Umno state chapter claims

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 — Johor Umno today denied orchestrating the attack on DAP leaders at their Taman Megah Ria function, claiming instead that the violence that saw cups and bowls flung at several lawmakers was started by members of the community who had grown impatient with the opposition party.

Johor Umno information chief Datuk Samsolbari Jamali was quoted in Sinar Harian Online as claiming that the party’s state liaison body had nothing to do with the incident, and that it does not enjoy provoking others.

“We are not the kind of party that likes creating provocations and this is why there are people who try to bully us,” he was quoted saying.

“What happened shows that with every action, there will be reaction. Everyone views things in different contexts... there are those who react in a good way, and there are those who react in a bad way.

“This is Johor. They have to accept the reality that not everyone likes what we do,” he told the Malay language daily.

Earlier today, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said DAP adviser and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang had likely provoked the violence at the party’s talk in Johor yesterday.

Although Tengku Adnan admitted that he has yet to obtain proof of provocation by the DAP, he said ground reports of the incident at Taman Megah Ria, Masai, indicated that the trouble only started when Lim said something deemed insulting at the event.

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 event organisers.

“They were shouting ‘Balik Kit Siang (Kit Siang must leave)’, ‘Babi (Pig)’, ‘Communist chauvinist’ and ‘Mampus (Go die)’,” an eyewitness told Malaysiakini.