Media statement by Teo Nie Ching in Serdang on Tuesday, 22^nd May 2012:

BN must stop its despicable acts of violence and intimidation immediately

Two days ago, a group of 200 people disrupted Bersih co-chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan's scheduled visit to the Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (Pasti) As-Solihin at Jalan Batu Gajah in Merlimau for tea between 5pm and 6.30pm.

Last night, a group of 30 to 40 thugs too tried to disrupt the Pakatan Rakyat ceramah at Pekan Bangi. According to the Village Head of Pekan Bangi, the group of men were not local villagers but outsiders.

The PR ceramah at Pekan Bangi started around 9pm. Speakers and guests included PAS Deputy President Haji Mohamad Sabu, MP for Shah Alam YB Khalid Samad, MP for Kapar YB S. Manikavasagam, Hindraf leader-cum-DAP Selangor committee member V. Ganabatirau, Bangi state assemblyman YB Dr Shafie Abu Bakar and myself.

The ceramah started with YB Khalid Samad's speech and everything went smoothly until around 11pm, when Haji Mohd Sabu started to deliver his speech.

A group of people, gathered near the gigantic Barisan Nasional flag which was hung opposite the Community Hall where the ceramah was held, started shouting and yelling and throwing stones at some Unit Amal personnel and several cars, shattering the car's windows.

During the ceramah, just before Mohd Sabu delivered his speech, PAS Serdang had announced that 6 new branches had been formed in the Serdang parliamentary constituency, and that some of these new members were from UMNO Youth. It is possible that this particular piece of news might have enraged or provoked the UMNO members or supporters.

Worried that the mob might do something crazy, the Unit Amal personnel and some PR members escorted me to my car to leave first, taken into consideration that I am in my 29th week of pregnancy.

The police came around 11.45pm after receiving our calls. However, they did not arrest any of the thugs and merely persuaded them to disperse. We also realised later that someone had set fire to some PAS flags that had been put up at the ceramah location.

In recent months, there have been many despicable acts of violence and intimidation by pro-BN groups. The increase in these types of "uncivilized" incidents is a serious concern to all rational Malaysians. It is time for the restoration of decency and civility in politics and public life. All BN leaders should come forward to speak out loud and clear and condemn these "uncivilised" acts.

We also want to stress to these pro-BN thugs that we will not succumb to their violent behaviour and desperate actions, and we will continue to organise even more ceramah to spread the truth and reveal the misdeeds and lies of BN.

* Teo Nie Ching, DAP Assistant National Publicity Secretary & MP for Serdang