Cops swoop in on youths in black near temple, nine nabbed

Police have arrested at least nine youths near the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Subang Jaya today, after they failed to heed orders to disperse.

“Arrest! (Tangkap!)” one officer shouted, as the police charged towards the group of youths.

Two units of Light Strike Force (LSF) riot police had been deployed there at about 12.50am.

About half of the 80-odd group dispersed on their own accord as the riot police geared up, but others remained defiant.

While the LSF stood behind them as back up, the police slowly moved towards the remaining youths.

"I'll count to 10, if you don't disperse we will arrest you," an officer said as he began counting while approaching the group.

When the youths did not leave by the count of 10, the police charged at them.

Some of the youth were grabbed as they scrambled to get on their bikes, while others were yanked out of parked cars.

A few youths retreated near the USJ 16 Caltex petrol station, and began heckling the police.

"You are arresting Malays!" a few youths shouted, while others exclaimed "Allahuakbar"(God is great).

The police then charged towards them at the petrol station.

There, police surrounded a white Myvi which some suspects had got into, but failed to stop the compact car.

The arrest operation took about 20 minutes.

One of those arrested claimed to be an SPM student who has an Islamic Studies exam to sit for later today. 

At about 11.30pm last night, the group of about 80 youths had gathered near the temple, the scene where rioting had taken place for two consecutive nights.

However, the group clad in black t-shirts had said that they were not there to cause trouble.

They assembled along Jalan Usaha nearby and marched towards the temple while chanting “Allahuakhbar (God is great),” stopping just 50 metres from the temple and across the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP).

“We want to show what our race is like. We came not to attack temples and places of worship, no. We came to say don’t tread (pijak) on the Malays, don’t force our hand. That is all.

“We want to show them. They beat up members of the public; we won’t beat up members of the public or attack. We have intelligence (akal).

“What have we come for? We want to assemble peacefully. That is all,” said a man who identified himself as Shahrizat Sahak, in a speech.

Police tried to persuade the group to disperse, while a group of about 40 devotees looked on from the temple across the highway.

The group eventually split into two smaller groups and moved away from the temple. Police kept close to both groups but only one eventually dispersed.-Mkini