‘NEW GOVT PERSECUTING & OPPRESSING ME’: UMNO’S JAMAL YUNOS CLAIMS BEING INTIMIDATED BECAUSE HE’S A MALAY LEADER

PETALING JAYA: Controversial Umno divisional leader Jamal Yunos has accused certain parties of trying to use the authorities to harass and take revenge on him, following allegations that he had fled after being charged with three offences on Friday.

Speaking to FMT, he claimed to have been unfairly treated and put under pressure, adding that there was an attempt to intimidate him as a community leader.

“I hope the police are not being pressured by the new government to persecute and oppress me,” said Jamal, head of Sungai Besar Umno.

He denied that he had escaped from hospital, saying that he left as his remand period was to have ended on Friday.

Police began a search for Jamal after a court officer was informed that he had left the Ampang Puteri Medical Centre, where he was being reportedly treated for a back condition, some five hours after charges of public nuisance were read to him in his ward.

Jamal had claimed trial to a charge of causing public nuisance by smashing beer bottles with a sledgehammer in front of the Selangor state secretariat building last year.

He was charged under Section 290 of the Penal Code which carries a fine of RM400 on conviction. He also faces two other charges related to firearms and rioting.

Jamal claimed that the hospital authorities had allowed him to leave. “If I had wanted to escape I would have done so on Wednesday or Thursday. I left the hospital on Friday because I knew my remand was over,” he said.

He said he had collected all his hospital documents and medicines before leaving. “If I had wanted to run away I would not have paid for my medicines and documents,” he said.

Allegations that he had fled were unsubstantiated accusations to harm his image as a leader, he said.

After leaving the hospital, he said he had gone to the Tabung Haji office and a bank to settle financial matters. “When I left Tabung Haji I was contacted and told that I was still under remand. I did not return to the hospital as I had already left,” he said.

Jamal said he had faith in the integrity and credibility of the police, but feared that they might be under pressure from “certain quarters”.

The police had reopened investigations into him even though there had been no further action taken for past events such as the “Red Shirts” counter protest to rallies by Bersih 2.0 and Pakatan Harapan supporters in 2015.

“I did not do any crime, so please give me my rights. Stop tormenting me,” he said. “Let the authorities conduct their investigations. Let there not be any pressure and insistence from any quarters,” he added.

Jamal said the former government of prime minister Najib Razak had also taken action against opposition members for “boldly doing that and this” in accordance to the law.

– FMT