Some 60 Selangor MCA Youth members held a peaceful "anti-violence" assembly at the car park in front of the of Dong Zong building in Kajang yesterday evening.
The gathering, led by Selangor MCA Youth chief Kow Cheong Wei, was in response to the claim of Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong that he was assaulted during the "Save Chinese Education" rally at the New Era Colege in Kajang last Sunday.
The gathering started around 7.20pm and ended about an hour later. Most of the participants were dressed in white, the formal colour for the MCA, carried banners and shouted the words "peace" and "no violence".
There were around 30 police personnel at the scene to maintain order, and there was no untoward incident.
Wee was photographed touching his left cheek after a close brush with a participant at the education rally last Sunday and he later claimed he was assaulted by that person.
Despite police claiming that Wee was not assaulted, the deputy minister insisted that he did feel a touch and could clearly identify the would-be assailant.
However, Wee refused to lodge a police report, saying he forgave the attacker and wanted the matter put to rest.
The gathering, led by Selangor MCA Youth chief Kow Cheong Wei, was in response to the claim of Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong that he was assaulted during the "Save Chinese Education" rally at the New Era Colege in Kajang last Sunday.
The gathering started around 7.20pm and ended about an hour later. Most of the participants were dressed in white, the formal colour for the MCA, carried banners and shouted the words "peace" and "no violence".There were around 30 police personnel at the scene to maintain order, and there was no untoward incident.
Wee was photographed touching his left cheek after a close brush with a participant at the education rally last Sunday and he later claimed he was assaulted by that person.
Despite police claiming that Wee was not assaulted, the deputy minister insisted that he did feel a touch and could clearly identify the would-be assailant.
However, Wee refused to lodge a police report, saying he forgave the attacker and wanted the matter put to rest.
'Crowd was provoked'
The 65-year-old retiree who is alleged to have thrown the punch, Lee Siak Taa, has denied the allegation and lodged a police report yesterday, demanding that the authorities investigate the matter.
Speaking to the press later, Kow said the attack on Wee was not important anymore and that the purpose of the MCA Youth protest was to oppose any form of violence, and to assure the Chinese community that it should not fear these kinds of incidents.
Kow then went on to accuse DAP members who attended the rally of carrying out some "extra activities" to provoke the attendees.
He also accused the DAP members of displaying banners at the the scene to turn it into a political gathering.
"The emotion of the people (at the education rally) was quite good, but they were provoked...Once their emotions were provoked, things become different. I hope the DAP leadership will learn a lesson, and tell its members not to do this in the future," he said.
Kow said that the rally was a platform for Dong Zong to raise its problems with the government, but it was regrettable that a "a group of people with a totally different direction" were also present at the event.
He said no political party, whether in the government or in the opposition, should have used the rally as a platform for self publicity.
As such, he hoped that DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng would support the objective of the MCA Youth protest.
Speaking to the press later, Kow said the attack on Wee was not important anymore and that the purpose of the MCA Youth protest was to oppose any form of violence, and to assure the Chinese community that it should not fear these kinds of incidents.
Kow then went on to accuse DAP members who attended the rally of carrying out some "extra activities" to provoke the attendees.He also accused the DAP members of displaying banners at the the scene to turn it into a political gathering.
"The emotion of the people (at the education rally) was quite good, but they were provoked...Once their emotions were provoked, things become different. I hope the DAP leadership will learn a lesson, and tell its members not to do this in the future," he said.
Kow said that the rally was a platform for Dong Zong to raise its problems with the government, but it was regrettable that a "a group of people with a totally different direction" were also present at the event.
He said no political party, whether in the government or in the opposition, should have used the rally as a platform for self publicity.
As such, he hoped that DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng would support the objective of the MCA Youth protest.
VIDEO l 4.14 mins
Shahrin Azam, who hails from Malacca, is a citizen journalist trained by Citizen Journalists Malaysia.
Shahrin Azam, who hails from Malacca, is a citizen journalist trained by Citizen Journalists Malaysia.
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