Media Statement by DAP National Publicity Bureau in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 27^th February 2009:

Karpal mobbed - Abdullah & Hishamuddin should apology

The DAP Central Publicity Bureau is outraged and enraged by the barbaric actions of Selangor UMNO youth members, who surrounded and mobbed DAP chairman Karpal Singh in Parliament yesterday. We therefore demand an apology from UMNO president-cum-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well as the present UMNO youth leader-cum-Education Minister, Hishamuddin Hussein.

Parliament is a bastion of democracy and Members of Parliament represent the people. When an MP is mobbed and physically abused by UMNO Youth members in the grounds of Parliament, it shows that UMNO Youth does not respect Parliament and what it stands for.

More than 12 UMNO Youth members who were able-bodied and smartly dressed mobbed and intimidated a 69-year-old wheelchair-bound man, and behaved rudely to MPs. This gives the impression that UMNO Youth members are uncivilised and the only way they know how to solve a problem is by resorting to violence.

The UMNO Youth members were in Parliament grounds from 10am, but until 3pm, no action had been taken by the security guards nor the police. After the shocking incident, the hooligans were even allowed to leave the scene.

The performance of the security personnel at Parliament is disappointing and extremely unprofessional. Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who is responsible for parliamentary affairs should also tender an apology to Karpal Singh.

We demand that UMNO Youth chief Hishamuddin take immediate action against the gang of UMNO Youth members who behaved like hooligans and gangsters. If Hishamuddin can’t even control or discipline his own members, is he qualified to be Education Minister, as his duties include implementing policies and programmes to guide and educate the young people of our country?

The DAP Central Publicity Bureau also demand that the three UMNO Youth Chief candidates, former Selangor MB Khir Toyo, UMNO Youth Exco Mukhriz Mahathir and UMNO Youth Vice-Chief Khairy Jamaluddin, to state their stand on this issue immediately.

Would they admit that the act of UMNO Youth members behaving rudely and intimidating a 69-year-old man in a wheelchair is an act of hooliganism and should be slammed and chastised by any upright-thinking and civic-minded Malaysian?

* DAP National Publicity Bureau