Is UMNO a party of and for hooligans

Malacca PAS Supporters Club chief Rajah Shanmugam yesterday lodged a police report at the Jalan Bandar, Kuala Lumpur police station on last Saturday's fracas during the club's event in Merlimau.

According to Rajah, he did do in Kuala Lumpur as he did not trust the local police. 

"I believe that Merlimau police and Umno are like brothers so I have chosen to lodge my report in Kuala Lumpur," he said.

In his report, Rajah said the demonstration by the local Umno andPerkasa branches against a planned hi-tea with Bersih co-chaiperson Ambiga Sreenevasan had contravened the Peaceful Assembly Act. 

Rajah, a lawyer by profession, said that the participants had violated Section 4 of the Act, which among others prohibits street demonstrations. 

Police didn't use dispersal powers
Similarly, he said the police failed to use Section 21 of the Act which allows dispersal if "the assembly is or has become a street protest". 

The section also allows dispersal if demonstrators make statements "which have a tendency to promote feelings of ill-will, discontent or hostility among the public at large or does anything which will disturb public tranquility". 

They had blocked and heckled motorists at Jalan Merlimau/Jalan Batu Gajah and had marched towards the venue at Taman Seri Merlimau.

He added that police failed to enforce Sections 8 of the Act, empowering them to impose restrictions and do whatever "deemed necessary" to ensure the "orderly conduct of an assembly". 

Section 15(1), he said, was also ignored as the section allows police to "impose restrictions " for public order and to protect the rights of others. 

Disregard for Rukunegara

Rajah also complained in his report of the disregard for the Rukunegara, particularly the portion dealing with courtesy and morality.

"The protesters were jeering at people who wanted to enter the venue. The ethnic Chinese participants were called dogs while the Indians were called pariahs," he said.

He added that the Rukunegara was put together after the bloody May 13 incident and should be observed, particularly in cases like this to prevent another racial riot.