Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam is in trouble with the law after the fiasco outside the Sogo shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur last night.
- Police to open investigation paper on chaotic rally
- Called ‘Funeral Ceremony of the Attorney-General’s Institution’, rally organised by Pemantau Malaysia Baharu (PMB)
- Light Strike Force (LSF) had to be deployed to control the chaotic situation
Reportedly, Lokman:
- blamed police stopping them marching for the scuffle that took place
- claimed it was difficult to control themselves when police allegedly started discussion by pointing fingers and talking in raised voices
- accused a group of performing buskers purposely turning up their speakers to drown out rally speeches
- threatening to march, instructed police to order musicians to stop performing
- against police order, incited the crowd to march
- alleged Shaharudin was unprofessional, that police tore up his police report
Lokman and his supporters clashed with police who attempted to stop the illegal gathering from marching towards the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.
Tempers flared, followed by pushing and shoving between Lokman’s supporters and the police.
Video footage showed heated exchanges between the Umno man and the district police chief Shaharudin Abdullah.
No arrests were made last night, but Shaharudin told The Malaysian Insight today that Lokman will be called to have his statement recorded soon.
“Yes, we will be calling him soon. My investigating officer will set an appointment,” Shaharudin said.
The gathering last night was to protest the decision by the Attorney-General’s Chambers to drop charges of graft against Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Carrying placards, the group also called for the removal of Attorney-General Tommy Thomas.
They had initially gathered outside the Sogo shopping mall, where Lokman gave a speech and were about to move towards the Dang Wangi police station when the cops moved in.
“Who are you to stop Malaysians from lodging a police report? Since when have Malaysians been disallowed from lodging reports?” Lokman asked the police in the video footage captured.
Defending his action to stop the protesters from marching, Shaharudin said that the organisers of the rally had not submitted a notice to the police prior to the gathering.
“The rally is being investigated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. Their actions of marching without submitting a notice is an offence,” he added.
Before pandemonium broke out, Lokman accused the buskers nearby of turning up the loudspeakers to “sabotage” the protest.
He later told a press conference that he had asked police to deal with the buskers, but officers refused to do so.
The Malaysian Insight has contacted Lokman and is awaiting his response.
-TMI