WE DIDN'T DO IT - Penang Umno tries to blame 'different angles' for cow-head attack

Last Saturday's cow-head incident at Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer's home may be an act of provocation "coming from different angles", said Penang Umno in distancing itself from the incident.

Penang Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the incident should not be linked to Umno without any proof because the act could have been carried out by anyone.

"If I get slapped tomorrow at a store, do I just conclude that DAP must be behind it? We have to look at incidents separately and not simply politicise them.

"The person could just be angry (at Rayer). Maybe the person's intention was to provoke. There are many possibilities and we should leave it to the police to investigate," he said today.

Reezal also said Umno would never condone such acts as they were against the teaching of Islam and the Malay culture and customs.

He said the dumping of a cow head at Rayer's gate was unacceptable and cannot be tolerated by anyone.

This is the first time Reezal, who is also Kepala Batas MP, has spoken about the incident, which has been linked to Rayer's infamous "Umno celaka" (Umno be damned) remark at the Penang assembly in May.

Reezal is one of the three Penang Umno leaders at whom Rayer had directed the remark. The other two were state Umno secretary Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir and Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya.

Rayer made the remark on May 20 when he slammed the three leaders for attending a rally in January in Seberang Jaya, where they made fiery speeches where some protesters also held up banners that read "Because of DAP leaders' mouths, May 13, 1969 happened... want some more?".

Reezal reiterated that although he felt hurt by Rayer's remark, which had also affected his family, he did not think Rayer should have to find a severed cow's head at his front gate.

Last Saturday, an unidentified man on a motorcycle left the head of a cow in front of Rayer's house in Seri Delima shortly before 6am. The act was captured by closed-circuit television camera at the DAP rep's house.

The man wore a full-faced helmet and had his motorcycle number plate covered. Before leaving the scene, he danced for a few seconds. About an hour later, the animal's head was discovered by Rayer's wife.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said no arrest has been made. –TMI