Those who bashed the suspect who stole a mobile phone that led to the Low Yat Plaza brawl should be prosecuted to avoid 'anxiety among Malay grassroots', says Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, July 19, 2015.
At the same time, the paper’s editors writing under the collective pseudonym, Awang Selamat, demanded the police take action against opposition leaders who made provocative statements regarding the incident which took place last weekend.
Awang Selamat, however, did not name the opposition leaders or the type of action the police should take against these people.
"To date, only one suspect has been charged. The dissatisfied sentiment regarding Khalid's statement on the matter is still hovering with the community," he said in referring to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar who dismissed any racial overtones to the incident and told a press conference that the incident was triggered by the alleged theft of a mobile phone by a youth.
"Especially since a Malay political leader who wrote in a Whatsapp chat group was detained when opposition leaders who made wild and provocative statements, escaped,” Awang Selamat said in reference to Bagan Umno division head Datuk Shaik Hussein Mydin, who had criticised the IGP’s handling of the matter.
"Why is the group who bashed up the suspect in Low Yat Plaza still not charged? This is among matters that cause anxiety among Malay grassroots," wrote Awang Selamat in the Malay daily’s weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia.
Apart from Shaik Hussein, others arrested in connection with the case were blogger Papagomo, whose real name is Wan Mohd Azri Wan Deris, and army veteran Mohd Ali Baharom, popularly know as Ali Tinju.
Papagomo was released on Friday by police, while Ali was charged with committing sedition over a racially-charged speech that he made before the brawl and has claimed trial.
The drama at Low Yat Plaza unfolded last Saturday when two youths visited a handphone outlet to buy a Lenovo S860 smartphone worth RM799.
The salesman who attended to them told police that the youths ran off with the phone as he turned away to get a free gift.
A chase ensued and mobile phone dealers in another shop caught the suspects and assaulted them before handing them over to the plaza's security guards who called in the police.
One of the suspects was later released by police, and it is believed that he returned to the plaza with his friends and attacked the store where the employees had helped detain the suspects earlier.
On Sunday evening, some 200 people congregated at the plaza, forcing authorities to order businesses at the premises to close early.
Police cordoned off the area, but a crowd gathered again after midnight and fights broke out; helmets and other items were thrown between rival groups.
At least five people, including media personnel, were reportedly injured in the incident.
- TMI
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