The DAP today said Umno has shown that it has no respect for the Iban community, following the ruckus at a DAP event, attended by Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang in Masai, Johor yesterday.
Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the incident at the Iban-owned coffee shop might become an issue in Barisan Nasional-ruled Sarawak.
“They have no respect for the Iban people. They violated and caused a disruption at the place. I think this will become an issue in Sarawak.
“DAP strongly condemns the ‘samseng’ (thuggish) behaviour displayed by the Umno supporters in Pasir Gudang,” he told reporters in Penang today.
Kit Siang, who is DAP’s parliamentary leader, was having a dialogue at the coffee shop when a group of 50 people started to cause a commotion to break up the event.
Punches were thrown while cups, bowls and other items were hurled at the 74-year-old veteran politician, who was also verbally abused and called ‘pig’, and ‘communist chauvinist’.
The dialogue was cut short and Kit Siang was shielded and escorted out of the premises, and left the location unhurt. Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong was also abused while he made his way to his car.
Guan Eng said such incidents were not new and in Penang, the DAP-led state government had faced such situations several times before.
He cited how the state legislative assembly was violated last year by some Umno members and how the DAP flag was burned last month in Komtar following an enforcement exercise to remove an illegally put up Umno sign in George Town.
“They defiled democracy, the state constitution, the state assembly and caused insult to the people of Penang.
“They have now challenged order, the law and violated the safety of elected representatives. They have no respect for the parliamentary institution and the federation.
“Umno has to apologise for defiling the holy month of Ramadan,” he said, adding that the incident in Johor could likely be a desperate tactic to divert the people’s attention from the scandals affecting the BN government.
Meanwhile, Penang DAPSY also condemned the incident, with deputy chief Chris Lee calling on Umno to take responsibility for the actions of its members, or the party would be seen to show Malaysian youths that such behaviour was acceptable.
“Should no Umno Supreme Council leader condemn the actions by these individuals, the Malaysian public should then interpret it as a silent endorsement.
“Umno must no longer play the silent game and take full responsibility for their actions. They owe that to the people of Malaysia,” he said in a statement. – July 6, 2015.
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