Lembah Pantai Umno today accused Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim of being responsible for provoking the fracas that erupted during a Pakatan Rakyat ceramah in Lembah Pantai on Thursday.
"That night, during Anwar's speech, he said ‘Pemuda Umno sial(damned), Pemuda Umno celaka (cursed)', and at that moment Umno Youth and other NGO youths were holding an election simulation.
"So you should understand, when people are having a simulation and there is such provocation, what will happen?" said Lembah Pantai Umno Youth chief Mohamad Sazali Kamilan at a press conference in Bangsar this morning.
On Thursday night, several people at the ceramah in Pantai Dalam were injuredwhen projectiles were hurled into the crowd, allegedly from an Umno ceramah taking place at the same time just metres away.
Mohamad Sazali stressed that though the event involved Lembah Pantai Umno, it was actually organised by local NGOs and they did not know that Pakatan was also organising one in the vicinity.
When it was pointed out that Malaysiakini's observation that night indicated that Anwar had uttered those words only after he saw an elderly Pakatan supporter bleeding from his head after being hit by a projectile, Lembah Pantai Umno information chief Ibrahim Thambychik said he too, could make a similar claim. [See video]
'Umno supporter too was injured'
"The situation was very noisy, I do not want to accuse anyone, but what if I said they (Pakatan supporters) threw (projectiles) at our people first?" he said while pointing to a placard with two photographs of a supporter wrapped in a blood-stained Umno flag and a bandage on the right of his forehead.
According to eyewitness Nizam Yusuf, the victim, Muhd Saiful Bukhari was taken to a nearby clinic for treatment after he was hit by a projectile on the forehead.
"When I arrived, I saw him already bleeding from his head so I told my friend who had a car to send him to a clinic, he was the one who sent me these pictures.
"I understand he (the victim) had six stitches and my friend later sent him back to the ceramah site to pick up his motorcycle," he said.
Ibrahim also slammed Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah for describing the incident as a "bloody night", saying that it was an exaggeration.
"There were many people that night, we can't determine. There were Umno people in their (Pakatan Rakyat) area and I am sure their people were also in our area - who threw what, who threw at who, we don't know.
"So, we do not want to accuse anyone... we will not accuse PKR of throwing (projectiles) at us - we are nice people, we don't accuse them," he said.
'Unruly supporters trained by Ambiga and Anwar'
Ibrahim added that if PKR wanted to accuse Lembah Pantai Umno Youth of the violence, then it should look at its conduct at the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.
"If they say that Umno Youth is violent... I think they (Pakatan supporters) are all well-trained by (Bersih co-chairperson) Ambiga Sreenevasan. There is already evidence of that during Bersih 3.0.
"They are the ones who hit the police and the people, they are the ones who destroyed government's property - those weren't Umno people, they were trained by Ambiga and Anwar," he said.
When pointed out that the recent trend of counter-demonstrations held by BN supporters could have been the source of tension and subsequent violence, Ibrahim said the question should similarly be posed to Pakatan.
Journalist: Such conflicts have been growing especially when there are ceramahs and counter-ceramahs side by side, should this continue?
Ibrahim: Who asked them to have a ceramah there? Of course, they (Pakatan) will also ask me why the NGO held the ceramah there, so your question is invalid.
Journalist: In such situation, there are always someone countering someone, but should this be done in the first place?
Ibrahim: Why don't you ask Anwar?
Journalist: We will later, but what is your comment?
Ibrahim: You ask him first, then you come and see me.
"That night, during Anwar's speech, he said ‘Pemuda Umno sial(damned), Pemuda Umno celaka (cursed)', and at that moment Umno Youth and other NGO youths were holding an election simulation.
"So you should understand, when people are having a simulation and there is such provocation, what will happen?" said Lembah Pantai Umno Youth chief Mohamad Sazali Kamilan at a press conference in Bangsar this morning.On Thursday night, several people at the ceramah in Pantai Dalam were injuredwhen projectiles were hurled into the crowd, allegedly from an Umno ceramah taking place at the same time just metres away.
Mohamad Sazali stressed that though the event involved Lembah Pantai Umno, it was actually organised by local NGOs and they did not know that Pakatan was also organising one in the vicinity.
When it was pointed out that Malaysiakini's observation that night indicated that Anwar had uttered those words only after he saw an elderly Pakatan supporter bleeding from his head after being hit by a projectile, Lembah Pantai Umno information chief Ibrahim Thambychik said he too, could make a similar claim. [See video]
'Umno supporter too was injured'
"The situation was very noisy, I do not want to accuse anyone, but what if I said they (Pakatan supporters) threw (projectiles) at our people first?" he said while pointing to a placard with two photographs of a supporter wrapped in a blood-stained Umno flag and a bandage on the right of his forehead.
According to eyewitness Nizam Yusuf, the victim, Muhd Saiful Bukhari was taken to a nearby clinic for treatment after he was hit by a projectile on the forehead."When I arrived, I saw him already bleeding from his head so I told my friend who had a car to send him to a clinic, he was the one who sent me these pictures.
"I understand he (the victim) had six stitches and my friend later sent him back to the ceramah site to pick up his motorcycle," he said.
Ibrahim also slammed Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah for describing the incident as a "bloody night", saying that it was an exaggeration.
"There were many people that night, we can't determine. There were Umno people in their (Pakatan Rakyat) area and I am sure their people were also in our area - who threw what, who threw at who, we don't know.
"So, we do not want to accuse anyone... we will not accuse PKR of throwing (projectiles) at us - we are nice people, we don't accuse them," he said.
'Unruly supporters trained by Ambiga and Anwar'
Ibrahim added that if PKR wanted to accuse Lembah Pantai Umno Youth of the violence, then it should look at its conduct at the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.
"If they say that Umno Youth is violent... I think they (Pakatan supporters) are all well-trained by (Bersih co-chairperson) Ambiga Sreenevasan. There is already evidence of that during Bersih 3.0.
"They are the ones who hit the police and the people, they are the ones who destroyed government's property - those weren't Umno people, they were trained by Ambiga and Anwar," he said.
When pointed out that the recent trend of counter-demonstrations held by BN supporters could have been the source of tension and subsequent violence, Ibrahim said the question should similarly be posed to Pakatan.
Journalist: Such conflicts have been growing especially when there are ceramahs and counter-ceramahs side by side, should this continue?
Ibrahim: Who asked them to have a ceramah there? Of course, they (Pakatan) will also ask me why the NGO held the ceramah there, so your question is invalid.
Journalist: In such situation, there are always someone countering someone, but should this be done in the first place?
Ibrahim: Why don't you ask Anwar?
Journalist: We will later, but what is your comment?
Ibrahim: You ask him first, then you come and see me.
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