Report lodged over 'beating' at ABU ceramah

Suaram executive director E Nalini has lodged a police report over the beating of a youth at an Anything But Umno (ABU) ceramah.

The report was lodged at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters yesterday.

When contacted, Nalini (right) said she and her friend M Sivaranjani were important witnesses and therefore felt it was necessary for them to come forward to facilitate police investigation.

“We are key witnesses because there weren’t many people outside at that time,” she said.

Last Saturday, a group of youths had stormed into an ABU ceramah at the Shah Alam City Council Hall at Jalan Kebun and subsequently assaulted a young man who was among those who attended the event.

Nalini, who was on the way to the venue, had passed by the entrance and was shocked to see two motorcycles riding out of the hall.

“We stopped our car to give way to the motorcycles and then we saw one Indian boy coming out,” she said.

‘He was beaten with sticks and helmets’

The boy, she added, had said something to the group who had been harassing the participants, after which they proceeded to beat him.

“We saw he said something but we don’t know what he said. The group then shouted at him and began to pull him and started whacking him.

“Six to seven boys, all youngsters, whacked him with sticks and helmets and screamed things like stupid and keling (an offensive term for Indians).”

She added that they had also hit her car and screamed at her, demanding that she leave immediately.

“We went off and made a U-turn. We saw more than 30 people standing opposite the hall with sticks but we managed to walk in (to the hall).”

Nalini called on the police to perform a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We want the police to investigate and we want a proper investigation,” she said.