Police dragged their feet in reacting to the attack on the students occupying Dataran Merdeka despite pleas for help, Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa says.
Er, who was at the scene during the attack early on Thursday morning, told Malaysiakini that he walked to the policemen present and urged them to take action when some 50 to 60 unknown thugs were beating up the students.
"About five minutes after the incident started, I walked up to two uniformed policemen at the side and urged them to react, but they were slow.
"The scuffle lasted about 20 minutes. Only when the thugs were finishing and about to leave, did the police step in," he said.
Er (centre in picture above) went to Dataran about 2am, after word had been spread on Facebook that DBKL was planning to take action against the students.
However, he never expected the arrival of the unwelcome thugs.
He said the assailants, many clad in black shirts, came around 2.30am and asked the students "to go back home".
They dismantled the 10 tents the students had erected at Dataran Merdeka and roughed up a number of them, with one ending up in hospital. One assailant was nabbed by the police later.
Er, who was at the scene during the attack early on Thursday morning, told Malaysiakini that he walked to the policemen present and urged them to take action when some 50 to 60 unknown thugs were beating up the students.
"About five minutes after the incident started, I walked up to two uniformed policemen at the side and urged them to react, but they were slow."The scuffle lasted about 20 minutes. Only when the thugs were finishing and about to leave, did the police step in," he said.
Er (centre in picture above) went to Dataran about 2am, after word had been spread on Facebook that DBKL was planning to take action against the students.
However, he never expected the arrival of the unwelcome thugs.
He said the assailants, many clad in black shirts, came around 2.30am and asked the students "to go back home".
They dismantled the 10 tents the students had erected at Dataran Merdeka and roughed up a number of them, with one ending up in hospital. One assailant was nabbed by the police later.
'Distinctive differences between students and thugs'
Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohmad Salleh yesterday denied the claim, saying that six police vehicles and 10 uniformed personnel arrived at the scene five to six minutes after the drama unfolded.
Mohmad also said police could not differentiate the assailants from the students when asked why only one attacker had been arrested.
Recounting the incident, Er debunked the claim of the police, saying there were distinctive differences between the students and the thugs.
"The thugs came wearing black shirts but most of the students wore the Bersih 3.0 T-shirt. It is a lie to say the police could not differentiate.
"The thugs were in their 30s and physically strong. It is very strange that out of so many of them, the police could only arrest one," Er said, adding that the police did not pursue the escaping thugs.
"If those policemen were frightened by gangsters, then they are not qualified and must be sent back for more training," he said.
Er's personal aide sustained a leg injury during a scuffle to protect his camera from being seized by an attacker.
Mohmad also said police could not differentiate the assailants from the students when asked why only one attacker had been arrested.
Recounting the incident, Er debunked the claim of the police, saying there were distinctive differences between the students and the thugs."The thugs came wearing black shirts but most of the students wore the Bersih 3.0 T-shirt. It is a lie to say the police could not differentiate.
"The thugs were in their 30s and physically strong. It is very strange that out of so many of them, the police could only arrest one," Er said, adding that the police did not pursue the escaping thugs.
"If those policemen were frightened by gangsters, then they are not qualified and must be sent back for more training," he said.
Er's personal aide sustained a leg injury during a scuffle to protect his camera from being seized by an attacker.
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