'Provocateurs behind chaos at Dataran'

Faridah Abdull, the head of the Selangor PAS women’s wing, has blamed agent provocateurs for causing the panic and chaos at Dataran Merdeka when tear gas was used during the Bersih 3.0 rally on Saturday.

Speaking today from her hospital bed where she has been warded with severe stomach injuries, she said she was in the crowd that had gathered at the water feature created by Kuala Lumpur City Hall in Jalan Tun Perak.

At the time, the crowd was about to disperse on the separate orders of Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

However, Faridah said she heard people at the back - who were wearing Bersih t-shirts - telling the crowd to move forward and that ‘Anwar suruh baling’ (Anwar says to throw things).

"I thought the directive could not be right as I know Anwar personally. As the younger people started to throw things, the police dropped tear gas canisters from the top into the crowd.

"There were many old people, including one from Baling, Kedah. I don’t know what happened to them.”  

As the protestors started to panic she was trampled on, resulting in her injuries.

She said the police and hospital officials had informed her of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s intention to visit her at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

However, Faridah said she had told the officials not to allow this.

"I told them if Najib or (Home Minister) Hishammuddin Hussein come to my ward, I will throw my slippers at them.

"They had caused (the chaos) as I only came to sit down and protest and nothing else. We did not carry any weapons. I only brought my handbag and this was lost in the chaos.”

She said Wanita Umno head Shahrizat Abdul Jalil had come to visit, but that she had rebuffed her.

"I did not entertain her and also told her I am even more determined to defeat Umno, as are my children," said the mother of five from Klang.

[More to follow]