Batu MP’s aide claims 'physically attacked' at pasar malam

An aide to Batu MP Tian Chua has claimed that he was verbally and physically attacked at a night market near PKNS flats along Jalan Kuching last Thursday.

Speaking to reporters today, Rozan Azen Mat Rasip said he and a volunteer with the Tian Chua’s office had arrived at the pasar malam to distribute 2018 calendars when they were stopped by three men.

“Aside from stopping us from meeting with pasar malam visitors, they hurled rude words, maki hamun (curses) and even threatened us.

“Although I tried to ask them rationally why they were stopping us and being rude to us, they continued being rough to us.

“The three individuals shouted at us loudly and said as representatives of PKR and the Batu MP’s office, we could not enter the pasar malam without their permission, and said our (PKR) flag was not welcome there.

“I was roughed up and shoved, my neck was strangled and my face was injured,” he said, showing the press a scar on his left jaw he sustained as a result of the altercation.

Following the incident, Rozan lodged a police report at the Sentul district police station and underwent a medical checkup at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

Copies of the police report were distributed to the press.

Video and audio recordings of the altercation were also shown.

Rozan claimed the three men responsible were “Umno youth members” but admitted he did not know their names or designations in the party.

Tian Chua, who was also present at the press conference, said he regretted the incident and that PKR had never stopped political parties from distributing information to voters in his constituency.

He also urged Umno leaders to take responsibility if it was found that Umno Youth members were involved.

“It is unbecoming for a political party associated with the ruling government if any of their members engaged in such activity.

“I urge the leaders of BN and Umno to take stern action so that we can ensure peaceful, civil relations in future election campaigns,” said Tian Chua, whose real name is Chua Tian Chang.

Both he and Rozan urged the police to investigate the incident thoroughly.

Umno Youth: 'We are not involved'

Meanwhile, when contacted, Batu Umno Youth chief Gulam Muszaffar Gulam Mustakim denied Rozan’s allegations and said the men responsible were instead the night market organisers.

“Umno Batu Youth was not involved, (the men) are members of the pasar malam organising committee,” he told Malaysiakini over text message.

Gulam Muszaffar explained that committee members had stopped Rozan from entering the night market because the flagpole he had with him was seen as a safety hazard.

“Did you know that Rozan brought a sharp stick (flagpole) with the (PKR) flag for campaigning purposes? This can be dangerous and can harm customers who come to buy food at the pasar malam.

“So the committee members, as organisers of the pasar malam, had the right to stop him from carrying the sharp stick.

“The committee will be held responsible and they have obligations to protect customers and vendors.

“(However), once he (Rozan) was stopped, he made provocations and was rude to the committee members. Furthermore, he made no official request to distribute his (calendars),” he added.

When asked how he came across such information, Gulam Muszaffar did not respond.

From Malaysiakini’s scrutiny of audio and video recordings of the altercation, there was no mention of the flagpole being a safety hazard.- Mkini