Gerakan man slams Umno’s thug politics

Athi Shankar | February 27, 2012

Baljit Singh warns that if Umno keeps resorting to this kind of politics, then it can kiss Putrajaya goodbye in the next polls.

GEORGE TOWN: A Gerakan local leader has slammed Umno’s thuggery-style politics with regard to the anti-Lynas protest at the Esplanade Speaker’s Square here yesterday.

Penang Gerakan’s legal and human rights bureau head Baljit Singh warned Umno to stop this kind of politics.

Or else, he said, Barisan Nasional could kiss goodbye to Putrajaya in the next polls.

Baljit said hostility and violence caused by thugs were uncalled for and detrimental to not only Umno but also other BN components.

“Penangites hate these thugs. Other BN partners will be guilty by association with Umno. The people will question the integrity and dignity of non-Umno parties in BN,” he told FMT today.

Baljit said the more Umno organised such demonstrations, the more BN would lose votes among Penangites and others.

He reminded Umno that BN suffered massive electoral reverses in 2008 due to people’s hatred towards Umno’s arrogance and hegemony.

He said other BN component parties suffered tremendously due to their association with Umno and added that Umno must realise that it was part of BN, not the feudal lord.

“If Umno can’t work as part of a BN team, then it should know what to do,” said Baljit.

‘Why the same time and place?’

State Umno Youth chief Shaik Hussein Mydin readily admitted that the thugs involved in the commotion were Youth members from the Tanjung Umno division.

However, he tried to blame the anti-Lynas supporters for provoking the Umno Youth members.

But Baljit, who was an observer at the demonstration, questioned the reason behind the Umno Youth members’ insistence to hold a pro-Lynas demonstration at the same time and place.

“Why can’t they hold their demonstration this weekend? Why should they do it on the same day? Can’t Umno respect democracy?” he asked.

During the anti-Lynas protest yesterday, the situation turned violent when the rowdy Umno Youth group gate-crashed the event.

The Umno Youth members became more hostile when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng arrived to join other state executive councillors among the anti-Lynas crowd.

Scuffles, pushing and shoving took place with at least two reporters injured during the demonstration held in solidarity with anti-Lynas Himpunan Hijau 2.0 rally in Kuantan.

Lee Hong Chun, 25, and Adam Chew, 29, from Kwong Wah Yit Poh, were hit on the head with helmets at the initially peaceful demonstration which turned ugly when pro-Lynas and anti-Lynas groups traded insults and started shoving one another.

The gathering was held to protest the rare earth plant operated by Australia’s Lynas Corp in Gebeng, Kuantan, which has been given a temporary operating licence.