I just can’t imagine political leader can take thugs to hit journalists physically ……ย 
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DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has asked Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan to apologise over his alleged involvement in a scuffle at a Tamil daily’s office on Tuesday.
“I think he (Saravanan) should apologise. MIC President Dr S Subramaniam must also take a stand and condemn what happened.
“I call upon the Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) to condemn this before he goes to the White House next week, because if you allow gangsterism in one area, it will spread to other areas.
“He (Najib) should ask Saravanan if this is an example a deputy minister should set,” Lim told a press conference at the Tamil Malar office in Kuala Lumpur today.
According to Lim, despite Saravanan’s denial of his involvement and his explanation that he was there to break up the scuffle, it was “clear” that the deputy minister was responsible for “the act of gangsterism” that took place.
Malaysiakini was previously told by an eyewitness that about 70 to 80 young men, some clad in โMIC Taskforceโ t-shirts, had shown up at the doorstep of the Tamil Malar office yesterday, together with Saravanan.
The dailyโs owner Oms Thiagarajan was punched while its photographer S Shanmugam was slapped. Its legal advisor K Saraswathy had her phone snatched from her.
Lim said the incident was unbecoming of a deputy minister as they went against the spirit of both the Rukun Negara and the Federal Constitution.
โWe want a democracy, and a democracy means using words, arguments and debates (when you have disagreements).
โNot by sticks and stones or by fists and violence,โ added Lim.
The attack happened after the daily published an article regarding rental issues on a property owned by the Federal Territory MIC, of which Saravanan is the chief.
Saravanan has dismissed the article as “fake news.”
The Gelang Patah MP also urged newly-minted inspector general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun to take action.
โHe must take immediate action and nip this in the bud. This is the first test for him as IGP,โ he said.
Aside from Lim, several DAP lawmakers including Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran and Teratai assemblyperson Tiew Way Keng were also present at the press conference today.