2œ theSun | FRIDAY MARCH 6 2009

news without borders

by Karen Arukesamy pulled.

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno

Youth said yesterday they were be-
ing made out to be the “bad guys” in
last Thursday’s fracas at Parliament,
Umno Youth blames DAP “We will send a letter to all our
leaders and we hope action will be
taken,” he said.
A CD recording of the incident
was distributed to the media rep-
resentatives present at the press

MPs for Parliament fracas

and blamed the DAP MPs instead for
igniting the incident.
“Not a single strand of hair on
(DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor
MP) Karpal Singh was touched in the
incident. Umno Youth leaders hap-
pened to see him and approached
him to express their dissapointment
over the harsh language he used
calling us celaka and asked for an
explanation,” Selangor Umno Youth
chief Abdul Shukor Idrus told a press
conference.
“We are attacked from various
sides as though we are at fault. We
did not start any problem. The uproar
was started by the DAP members.”
He said the youth leaders were
invited to Parliament that day by
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr
Abdul Latiff Ahmad to discuss the
developments in the ministry and
have lunch with him.
After the discussion with Abdul
Latiff, the leaders met Karpal “by
coincidence” and approached him
because they were disappointed with
his accusation against them.
“The uproar only happened when
the DAP members arrived and, by
that time, Karpal was already leav-
ing the place,” Abdul Shukor said.
He said there was “no form of
force or violence” used.
“Even if there were reports that
said there was force used, it was
merely the waving of hands.
“When (DAP Puchong MP)
Gobind Singh arrived, the incident
was already over but he suddenly
started a commotion by openly chal-
lenging the youth leaders.”
Abdul Shukor said Umno Youth
conference.
Latt said the recording was pre-
pared by the staff of DAP veteran Lim
Kit Siang and posted on his website
on Tuesday and the Umno Youth
leaders managed to obtain a copy.
He said evidence from the CD that
the Umno Youth leaders did not start
did not understand why a senior him, like normal.” us like a father (picking a fight) with the disturbance would be be submit-
politician like Karpal had used the Asked if the Umno Youth leaders his son. He should act in an exem- ted to Parliament and the Umno
word celaka in Parliament. will apologise, he said: “We’ll see plary manner.” leaders for them to take action.
Petaling Jaya Utara division what happens. Asked why DAP Segambut MP The eight-minute recording
youth chief Latt Sharizan Abdullah “Why does he want to pick on us? Lim Lip Eng’s tie and jacket were showed several people, believed to
said: “We did not intend to cause any We are young people, he is a senior pulled during the fracas, Latt said be the Umno Youth members, sur-
disruption. We only wanted to know person and he is picking a fight with even his (Latt’s) tie and coat were rounding Karpal outside Parliament
why Karpal had and demanding that he apologise for
used the word using the word celaka.
celaka.” When Karpal asked them to allow
He said him to enter Parliament, they did not
Selangor Umno allow him to pass, saying he could
Youth felt “vic- wait for five minutes.
timised” by the One of them was heard to say:
incident and it “You don’t need to go to Parliament.
wanted to tell You go there and only create distur-
its side of the bance to the world.”
story. Another kept insisting that Karpal
Questioned repeat the word he uttered in Parlia-
on why the ment in their presence, saying they
youth leaders wanted to hear it for themselves, to
had approached which Karpal said: “Don’t threaten
Karpal outside me and don’t stop me. I have got
the House in- my duties and I want to go to Parlia-
stead of asking ment”.
the Barisan Karpal was also heard to say:
Nasional (BN) “You can’t do this to me. I’ll call the
MPs to demand police.”
an explanation Minutes later, some members of
from him, Latt the Opposition arrived and there was
said: “We were a commotion, which lasted for about
there and he five minutes.
happened to be (Front row from left) Abdul Present at the press conference
there and we Shukor, Muhammad and Latt at was Umno information chief Tan
just approached the press conference. Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib.

Khalid to decide on Wong’s
status after March 15
KUALA LUMPUR: Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul
Khalid Ibrahim will decide on the status of Bukit
Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong after she
returns from leave on March 15. Wong, 37, had of-
fered to resign as the assemblywoman and state
executive councillor following the distribution
of photographs showing her partially nude two
weeks ago. She has since taken leave of absence
and is overseas. Khalid told reporters yesterday a
decision would only be made after she returned
from leave. “I will discuss with her after March 15,”
he said. – Bernama
Cop charged with causing colleague to make false statement
KUALA LUMPUR: A police
sergeant was charged in the
magistrate’s court here yesterday
with causing a corporal to make a
false statement to an investigation
officer at the end of last year.
Sgt Mohd Diah Sulaiman,
45, is accused of having caused
Cpl Mohd Azwan Mohd Shukor,
in a conversation recorded by
investigating officer ASP Zulkifar
Mohd Ghazali, to state that no
interrogation was carried out on
B. Prabakar, 28, and C. Solomon
Raj, 18, and to not tell the truth
that both victims had been in-
jured after being splashed with
hot water on Dec 23 last year.
Mohd Diah pleaded not guilty
to the charge.
The offence was alleged to
have been committed at the D7
office at the Brickfields police
headquarters at 3pm on Dec 31.
He is being charged under Sec-
tion 193 of the Penal Code, which
carries a jail term of up to three
years and a fine upon conviction.
Magistrate Nor Azah Kasran al-
lowed Mohd Diah bail of RM1,800
in one surety and set April 15 for
re-mention of the case.
On Jan 15, Mohd Diah was
charged in the sessions court here
with causing injury to two youths
in a police lock-up.
Meanwhile, the sessions court
here yesterday fixed May 11 for
mention of the case of seven po-
licemen, including Mohd Diah,
charged with assaulting two lock-
up prisoners.
Judge Zainal Abidin Kamaru-
din fixed the date after deputy
public prosecutor Lee Keng Fatt
informed the court that the medi-
cal report on one of the prisoners,
C. Solomon Raj, was not ready.
There were no objections from
defence counsel Datuk Salehud-
din Saidin.
The seven policemen, aged
between 35 and 45, were Sgt
Mohd Shafiee Abdul Halim, Sjn
Mohd Diah Sulaiman, Sjn Zulki-
plly Taib, Cpl Abdullah Musa,
Cpl Zamrin Zaid, L/Cpl Matila
@ Saudi Ismail and L/Cpl Nizam
Abdul Wahab.
On the first charge, they are
alleged to have assaulted B. Pra-
bakar, 28, to extract a confession
from him at the detective’s office
in the Brickfields police station be-
tween 10.15pm on Dec 23 last year
and 3.30am the following day.
They are also charged with as-
saulting Solomon Raj at the same
place and time.
If convicted, they could be
jailed up to seven years each and
fined. – Bernama

Police looking for six ‘No conflict of interest for state

involved in illegal assembly
IPOH: Police are looking for
six men identified to have
taken part in an illegal as-
sembly in front of the Perak
Darul Ridzuan building here
on Tuesday.
Perak police chief Datuk
Zulkifli Abdullah said the
six were identified from pho-
tographs obtained from the
media on the illegal assembly
when police cordoned off the
area to prevent the convening
of an emergency state assem-
bly sitting in the building.
“We have also identified
several others who took part
in the illegal assembly to
have their statements taken,”
he said at the handing-over of
duty from acting Perak CID
chief ACP Zulkifli Hasan to
acting SAC II Mohd Dzuraidi
Ibrahim at the state police
headquarters here yesterday.
Before this, Dzuraidi, 48,
was the Narcotics Intelligence
Division assistant director in
Bukit Aman.
Zulkifli said those identi-
fied would be investigated
under Section 27 (5) of the
Police Act 1967 for taking part
in an illegal assembly.
Police had warned the pub-
lic not to gather around the
Perak Darul Ridzuan building
as they would be cordoning
off the area to prevent several
state assemblymen from en-
tering the building to hold an
emergency assembly sitting.
The order came from the state
secretary.
Meanwhile, police were in-
vestigating 31 cases, including
12 for illegal assembly, two
under the Sedition Act 1948
and three under the Printing
Presses and Publications Act
1984, with the investigation
papers to be submitted to the
deputy public prosecutor soon
for further action. – Bernama
legal adviser to represent Zambry’
» From Front Page
service shall not be taken to comprise: (b)
the office of President, Speaker, Deputy
President, Deputy Speaker or member
of either House of Parliament or of the
Legislative Assembly of a state”.
In arguing that Sivakumar is not bound
by Section 24 of the Government Pro-
ceedings Act, 1956, Chan also stressed
that Sivakumar had authorised him to
represent Sivakumar whereas the state
legal adviser was not authorised.
Sivakumar’s lawyers will file an appeal
against both decisions by Ridwan to the
registrar of the Appeal Court next week.
The EC will be represented in this
case by Senior Federal Counsel Siti
Salwa Musa as intervener.
Later, at a press conference, Hafari-
zam said the matter has been adjourned
to March 11 to allow state legal adviser
Ahmad Kamal to take instructions from
the speaker.
He said there is no conflict of interest
for Ahmad Kamal to represent Zambry
in the Kuala Lumpur High Court case
filed by former mentri besar Datuk Seri
Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to seek
legality on the post of mentri besar, and
Sivakumar’s case in the Ipoh High Court,
as both are different in nature.
Asked what would happen if Sivaku-
mar did not want the services of Ahmad
Kamal, Hafarizam said: “Ask him to re-
sign from his post and we can appoint
another speaker from the BN.”
Yesterday, Justice Ridwan also fixed
March 23 to hear an application by Zambry
and his six executive council members
against Sivakumar’s decision to suspend
them from the state assembly for 18
months and 12 months, respectively, after
a hearing of the Rights and Privileges Com-
mittee for contempt of the House.
The seven executive members are
seeking an order from the High Court
that Sivakumar’s ruling is illegal and that
they be allowed to attend all assembly
sittings.
Zambry’s legal team sought an ear-
lier date to hear both cases but Ahmad
Kamal said he needed more time as he
has to consult Sivakumar on the two
matters.