Guan Eng raps Umno for Penang protest
The protest, said to have been staged by Umno and Perkasa members, had reportedly resulted in the arrest of at least seven people, including Umno Senator Ezam Mohamad Nor, and the assault of two reporters.
In a statement today, Lim, who was the target of the over 300 protestors who gathered first at the historic Masjid Kapitan Keling after Friday prayers, slammed Penang Umno chief Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman for denying Umno’s involvement.
The Penang Chief Minister pointed out that Ezam’s arrest had proven Zainal Abidin’s “blatant and open lie” and told the politician to seek public forgiveness and apologise.
“Video footage of the illegal assembly and the arrest of Umno Senator Ezam by the police for illegal assembly proves that Umno is a coward for trying to deny its involvement and is a classic reminder of the Malay proverb, ‘baling batu sembunyi tangan’ (hiding the hand that threw the stone),” he said.
Lim also dared Zainal Abidin to stand by his statement by denying Exam’s Umno membership and the party’s appointment of the former PKR man as a Senator.
He claimed that during the protest, Ezam had threatened to stage more protests to pressure him into resigning ahead of the next general election.
“Where is Umno’s respect for democracy and my mandate as the rightful elected Chief Minister of Penang?” he said.
Lim urged the police to take action against those responsible for the attacks on two pressmen who were taking photographs of the protest, saying that failure to do so would confirm the government’s practice of double standards.
“Both reporters have lodged police reports and provided evidence of their assailants and their vehicles,” he noted.
He accused English daily New Straits Times of being complicit in Umno’s “cowardice and lies” by failing to publish news of Ezam’s arrest and the attacks on the reporters.
“No mention was made by NST of two reporters being attacked by Umno nor that the demonstrators had blocked traffic in the middle of the Penang Bridge causing a 10km-long traffic jam.
“Penang Umno and Umno Youth state leaders were also present at that violent, illegal assembly. Seven others were arrested with Ezam including a Perkasa Penang leader Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin,” he reported.
Lim said the joint protest proved Umno’s close links with Malay rights group Perkasa, often criticised by the opposition as a racist organisation.
“Gerakan, MCA or MIC must fully explain why they still support an Umno that works closely with a racist organisation like Perkasa that regards our Chinese women ancestors as prostitutes and Indians as beggars and dogs,” he said.
According to media reports, protestors had called for Lim’s resignation due to his support of the now-outlawed Bersih 2.0 coalition. During their march, they reportedly accused Lim of being a “communist” and the “most racist leader in the history of the country.”
mi1: What UMNO preaches, it never practices as it does not have the credibility at all, It is a party for all mother of HOOLIGANS
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