DAP accuses cops of double standard for not arresting protesters at party HQ

Ong Kian Ming shows a copy of the police report during a press conference by the DAP at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Wan Amirul Asraf Wan Omar, May 23, 2014.DAP has taken the police to task for their "double standards" in handling an Umno Youth protest outside the DAP headquarters in Jalan Yew, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday, in which the protesters had threatened to burn down the building.

Acting party chairman Tan Kok Wai said it was odd how police could easily arrest people in Pakatan Rakyat's peaceful rallies but in yesterday's incident, there were no arrests.

"Although yesterday's protest was obviously violent, there were no arrests but in PR's peaceful gatherings, police can easily arrest people," he said at a press conference today.

Calling the action of Umno Youth members most "embarrassing and uncivilised", he said that it was a sign that "samseng" politics was becoming the norm.

"What happened yesterday was embarrassing.

"It shows that ‘samseng’ politics is taking reign and becoming more dangerous.”

In yesterday's incident, some 50 Federal Territory (FT) Umno Youth members, armed with banners, protested in front of the DAP headquarters before handing over a memorandum to party strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming.

They had threatened to burn the building and DAP leaders claimed the protesters had destroyed the party's signboard.

The protesters later had denounced Penang's Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer over his "Umno celaka" (Umno be damned) remark.

His use of the term sparked massive protests in Penang where a group of Umno Youth members barged into the legislative assembly building and disrupted the sitting for the first time in history.

Meanwhile, today Ong urged Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin to apologise for the actions of his members.

"I urge Khairy to apologise for what happened yesterday. He, as the chief, ought to apologise for what his members did," the Serdang MP said.

The incident, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said, was proof that the changes promised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had failed to take place.

"It brings shame to Umno, especially to Najib, who was vocal in calling for changes and national reconciliation, which were apparently in his main agenda," he added.

Tan said DAP had lodged a police report over three things, including the threat to burn the building down, destruction of private property and peaceful assembly.