Cops rapped for chasing off hecklers’ victims

The Teluk Intan MP says the provocateurs should have been arrested.

PETALING JAYA: Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran today criticised the police for stopping his ceramah last night instead of acting against the group that disrupted it.

“They should have at least apprehended the provocateurs,” he told FMT, referring to about 30 young men allegedly carrying Barisan Nasional flags.

News reports said the intruders, travelling in a lorry, arrived at the ceramah venue some time after the function had started at 7.30pm. They screamed profanities and racist remarks, witnesses said.

“I am unhappy with the lack of police action,” said the DAP parliamentarian.

“They were shouting things like ‘Teluk Intan belongs to Malays’ and ‘DAP can go back.’ They proceeded slowly toward the crowd and became unruly.”

He said the situation would have turned ugly if he had not restrained his supporters and workers.

The group continued with their heckling even after the police had arrived, he added.

Hilir Perak OCPD Goh Kok Liang eventually advised the organisers to call off the forum, which would have seen the participation of several big names in DAP, including publicity chief Tony Pua and the party’s Perak chief, Ngeh Koo Ham.

According to Manogaran, Goh tried to negotiate with the intruders but gave up after a while and told him to call off the forum, which he said had an audience of about 2,000 people.

“It was they, the provocateurs, who should have been removed from the venue, as I insisted,” he said.

Before dispersing, the ceramah speakers and their audience held a 30-minute sit-in, during which they sang the national anthem.

Policemen escorted Manogaran out of the venue, ostensibly to protect him from the intruders, who were still around.

Manogaran said the organisers had notified the police about the ceramah two weeks beforehand in compliance with the Peaceful Assembly Act.