Racially motivated brawl at Kuala Lumpur’s Low Yat Plaza

COMMENT: This is not good sign. Thanks to UMNO politicians, the champions of Malay rights and supremacy, PEKIDA hooligans, who are jobless and frustrated, have decided to take the law into their own hands. Being associated and probably funded by UMNO, these individuals know that the Police will not punish them. I suspect the Prime Minister too  will be quite pleased if this incident  triggers more violence, and looting and harms ordinary citizens who do their shopping over the weekend. His politics of race works.

Let us hope that this is an isolated case and will not be repeated. We cannot afford incidents of this nature. At the time of writing, I have yet to read any statement emanating from the “hallowed” halls of the Prime Minister’s Office condemning those responsible for this incident.. –Din Merican.

Racially motivated brawl at Kuala Lumpur’s Low Yat Plaza

by Muzliza Mustafa@www.themalaysianininsider.com

Authorities asked businesses at the Low Yat Plaza to close early tonight after about 200 people, some of them said to be from a Malay rights group PEKIDA, gathered outside the building to air their “dissatisfaction” over a brawl which occurred yesterday.

Business premises had been asked to be shuttered as early as 9pm tonight, with  the Police cordoning the area to prevent the group from trying to enter the building. It is understood that the group had congregated in front of the building about 6pm and the number slowly grew to almost 200 by 8.45pm, ignoring Police warnings against speculating on the case as it was still under investigation.

They were heard screaming derogatory and unsavoury remarks and appeared ready to charge into the premises when the management and authorities decided to close early.

A bystander captured this image showing people congregating outside the building. Kuala Lumpur CID Chief Datuk Zainuddin Ahmad has announced that the brawl last night was not racially motivated, but purely an act of revenge by a group of youths unhappy that one of their friends was arrested for allegedly stealing a mobile phone.

One of them, believed to a the group’s representative, was heard telling the crowd that the gathering was about seeking justice. “We want justice and fairness, let the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) be aware of what happened yesterday,” he said.

The 7.50pm incident yesterday went viral on social networking sites with many jumping to the conclusion that it was racially motivated.The postings on social media also said that the man currently in police custody for alleged shoplifting had been conned when purchasing a mobile phone at the shop.

It was claimed that the man had snatched a unit from a salesman after the latter had refused to replace the mobile phone he bought earlier. Meanwhile, Police tonight said the crowd slowly dispersed around 10pm after being instructed to leave the area.

“They misunderstood what had happened after reading the news on social media. The Police have advised them and some accepted the explanation but there are a few who were still unhappy,” said a source. Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa who was at the scene, once again urged the public not to speculate on what had happened and allow Police to conduct their investigation on the case.

A view of the entrance of Low Yat Plaza after the Ppolice had cordoned off the area. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, July 12, 2015.