By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Datuk Mohamad Sazali Kamilan today demanded PKR furnish proof that Umno was behind last Thursday’s rally violence which left at least two people injured.
The Lembah Pantai Umno Youth chief stressed that “no one” could ascertain who started pelting stones and water bottles that night, claiming that attendees from both the PKR and Umno rally that night suffered injuries.
This is despite PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar claiming to have documented evidence in her possession that Umno supporters were responsible for the attacks.
“I have seen several video recordings on YouTube on the incident which took place at the Pantai Permai flats (PPR) in Lembah Pantai and have read Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar’s statement.
“I repeat that no one can safely say where the objects came from, who started throwing the objects which hit participants from both sides... it’s easy for Nurul Izzah to play the blame game,” Mohamad Sazali said in a statement.
“Nurul Izzah should at least specify which one of the videos shows what could be said as Umno’s violence, Nurul Izzah should answer whether heckling and shouting ‘boo’ is a form of violence.
“Its not just Umno but people living there who are sick of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s presence,” he added.
He said that several Umno members had actually helped PKR members who were injured that night.
“They (PKR) have consistently not believed in the authenticity of videos, they have said that videos can manipulated and edited, so who can really determine who started the violence?
“What cannot be denied was what Anwar said to the Umno Youth members,” said the Umno leader.
Mohamad Sazali predicted that last Thursday’s incidents would soon be used as campaign fodder for the next general election, just like how Bersih 3.0 was used to achieve the opposition’s goal of “political provocation.”
Umno has maintained that it was those from the opposition party camp who had instigated the fracas.
According to Lembah Pantai Umno information chief Datuk Ibrahim Thamby Chik yesterday, PKR supporters were the ones who first disrupted Umno’s rally just moments before the opposition party’s own event 100 metres away was pelted with stones, eggs and water bottles.
Ibrahim insisted to The Malaysian Insider that PKR’s supporters were already behaving in an unruly fashion an hour before Nurul Izzah or PKR de facto leader Anwar arrived, saying that the party’s supporters had interrupted the Umno rally taking place nearby.
Ibrahim and Mohamad Sazali have accused Anwar of provoking Thursday night’s violence at the PKR rally, and denied responsibility for the incident.
Anwar had called Umno Youth members who were at the latter party’s rally “sial” and “celaka” shortly after PKR’s event was attacked.
Nurul Izzah has said PKR will lodge a police report against Lembah Pantai Umno chief Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, as well as Mohamad Sazali and Ibrahim.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has since condemned the violence and denied that any instruction was given to Umno Youth members to disrupt the ceramah.
Nurul Izzah is currently the Lembah Pantai MP. She won the seat by a narrow margin from Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil.
The first-term lawmaker is expected to defend the constituency and will likely face Raja Nong Chik in the coming general election.
