PAS member Abdul Hadi Abdul Aziz, 21, believes the fracas last Saturday that broke out after Perkasa members were stopped from approaching party deputy president Mohamad Sabu was an attempt to goad them into violent retaliation.
Abdul Hadi, whose nose was bloodied after being punched by a yet-unknown assailant in the incident, believed that the aim of the Perkasa group was for matters to escalate until it got so "ugly" as to force a premature end to the ceramah.
That would have led not only to the scrapping of plans for Mohamad - who is popularly known as Mat Sabu - to deliver his speech at the ceramah-cum-Hari Raya gathering, but cast aspersion on PAS members.
"I believe Perkasa provoked the PAS members, expecting us to retaliate against them and eventually make the situation worse.
"Then they would brand PAS as violent. This could have been their tactic to trap PAS," Abdul Hadi told Malaysiakini.
Abdul Hadi, a recent college graduate, was referring to a fracasthat saw punches, plastic bottles and rocks being thrown on the evening of Sept 24 after a protest held by members of Malay rights group Perkasa at a PAS ceramah in Seremban turned rowdy.
More than 100 Perkasa members and ex-army personnel had sought to accompany several of their representatives to submit a memorandum of protest to Mat Sabu over his remarks concerning anti-colonialist activist 'Mat Indera' and the Bukit Kepong incident of 1950.
The group - many of whom were earlier holding up anti-Mat Sabu placards and shouting slogans at the side of the road in front of the ceramah - was there to convey their grievances against Mat Sabu.
'Someone punched my nose'
Recounting the events of that evening, Abdul Hadi said he was having a drink at a nearby stall when he heard a commotion at the entrance to the ceramah venue.
"I rushed to the scene, where I found three Perkasa members had crossed the road and were making their way to the ceramah. At this time, another PAS member - Abdus Star Nor Mohd - and other PAS members were obstructing them.
"By this time, more Perkasa members from the other side of the road had also crossed the road and were pushing their way into the ceramah location. I saw them pushing Abdus Star, so I decided to help him by trying to stop the Perkasa members.
"At this point, someone punched my nose, and within seconds my nose began bleeding and I felt dizzy. A PAS member came to my aid and brought me to Al Wildan pre-school, where the ceramah was being held," said Abdul Hadi.
Abdul Hadi lodged a police report at Rahang police station on the same night of the incident.
Abdul Hadi - who became a PAS member four years ago - said the episode has not dampened his spirits. On the contrary, he said, it had made him even more eager to be part of the PAS struggle.
Other than Abdul Hadi, another PAS member was said to have been hit on the head a stone thrown in the incident. That PAS member - identified only as 'Shahib' - however declined to be interviewed or photographed.
Police eventually managed to calm the situation after persuading both sides to stand down.
Negeri Sembilan PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abd Ghani was reported as saying the party would take legal action over the incident.
Perkasa denies intention to provoke
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Perkasa secretary Alias Mohamad denied that his members had purposely provoked and attacked Abdul Hadi and other PAS members.
"I do not agree on the use of violence. It is not true that we purposely provoked them. We have no reason to engage in such provocation as we are not against PAS, but only Mohamad Sabu," he told Malaysiakini.
"But then when it's too crowded and people are emotional, incidents can go beyond control," said Alias.
He had earlier alleged that a Perkasa man was also among those injured in the incident when he was hit with 'hot water'.
Alias further explained that one of the ceramah organisers had allowed three Perkasa representatives to meet Mat Sabu. When three Perkasa members want to be part of the delegation as well, they were stopped and told only one of them would be let in.
According to Alias, that raised tensions and led to the melee.
Echoing Abdul Hadi's comments, however, PAS' Seremban division chief Mk Ibrahim Abd Rahman said he believes the "assault" led by Perkasa was planned in advance.
"Their aim that night was not to submit their memorandum, because there was not one piece of paper around at all," Ibrahim was reported as saying in Malay daily Sinar Harian.
"Furthermore, where did the bottles and stones come from if this was not planned? I was told that PAS workers and traders along the road (of the venue) had to seek shelter under the stall umbrellas from the stones raining down on them," Ibrahim added.
He said he had known there would be a protest at the ceramah venue that night, but "did not think that Perkasa would act so foolishly as they did".
Abdul Hadi, whose nose was bloodied after being punched by a yet-unknown assailant in the incident, believed that the aim of the Perkasa group was for matters to escalate until it got so "ugly" as to force a premature end to the ceramah.That would have led not only to the scrapping of plans for Mohamad - who is popularly known as Mat Sabu - to deliver his speech at the ceramah-cum-Hari Raya gathering, but cast aspersion on PAS members.
"I believe Perkasa provoked the PAS members, expecting us to retaliate against them and eventually make the situation worse.
"Then they would brand PAS as violent. This could have been their tactic to trap PAS," Abdul Hadi told Malaysiakini.
Abdul Hadi, a recent college graduate, was referring to a fracasthat saw punches, plastic bottles and rocks being thrown on the evening of Sept 24 after a protest held by members of Malay rights group Perkasa at a PAS ceramah in Seremban turned rowdy.
More than 100 Perkasa members and ex-army personnel had sought to accompany several of their representatives to submit a memorandum of protest to Mat Sabu over his remarks concerning anti-colonialist activist 'Mat Indera' and the Bukit Kepong incident of 1950.The group - many of whom were earlier holding up anti-Mat Sabu placards and shouting slogans at the side of the road in front of the ceramah - was there to convey their grievances against Mat Sabu.
'Someone punched my nose'
Recounting the events of that evening, Abdul Hadi said he was having a drink at a nearby stall when he heard a commotion at the entrance to the ceramah venue.
"I rushed to the scene, where I found three Perkasa members had crossed the road and were making their way to the ceramah. At this time, another PAS member - Abdus Star Nor Mohd - and other PAS members were obstructing them.
"By this time, more Perkasa members from the other side of the road had also crossed the road and were pushing their way into the ceramah location. I saw them pushing Abdus Star, so I decided to help him by trying to stop the Perkasa members.
"At this point, someone punched my nose, and within seconds my nose began bleeding and I felt dizzy. A PAS member came to my aid and brought me to Al Wildan pre-school, where the ceramah was being held," said Abdul Hadi.
Abdul Hadi lodged a police report at Rahang police station on the same night of the incident.
Abdul Hadi - who became a PAS member four years ago - said the episode has not dampened his spirits. On the contrary, he said, it had made him even more eager to be part of the PAS struggle.Other than Abdul Hadi, another PAS member was said to have been hit on the head a stone thrown in the incident. That PAS member - identified only as 'Shahib' - however declined to be interviewed or photographed.
Police eventually managed to calm the situation after persuading both sides to stand down.
Negeri Sembilan PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abd Ghani was reported as saying the party would take legal action over the incident.
Perkasa denies intention to provoke
Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Perkasa secretary Alias Mohamad denied that his members had purposely provoked and attacked Abdul Hadi and other PAS members.
"I do not agree on the use of violence. It is not true that we purposely provoked them. We have no reason to engage in such provocation as we are not against PAS, but only Mohamad Sabu," he told Malaysiakini.
"But then when it's too crowded and people are emotional, incidents can go beyond control," said Alias.He had earlier alleged that a Perkasa man was also among those injured in the incident when he was hit with 'hot water'.
Alias further explained that one of the ceramah organisers had allowed three Perkasa representatives to meet Mat Sabu. When three Perkasa members want to be part of the delegation as well, they were stopped and told only one of them would be let in.
According to Alias, that raised tensions and led to the melee.
Echoing Abdul Hadi's comments, however, PAS' Seremban division chief Mk Ibrahim Abd Rahman said he believes the "assault" led by Perkasa was planned in advance.
"Their aim that night was not to submit their memorandum, because there was not one piece of paper around at all," Ibrahim was reported as saying in Malay daily Sinar Harian.
"Furthermore, where did the bottles and stones come from if this was not planned? I was told that PAS workers and traders along the road (of the venue) had to seek shelter under the stall umbrellas from the stones raining down on them," Ibrahim added.
He said he had known there would be a protest at the ceramah venue that night, but "did not think that Perkasa would act so foolishly as they did".
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