Tuesday August 5, 2008
Photographer attacked after PKR ceramah
By YENG AI CHUN
BUKIT MERTAJAM: A Guang Ming Daily photographer was allegedly assaulted by a group of people on Sunday night as she was leaving Seberang Jaya Expo after covering the ceramah by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Loh Hoay Hoon, 25, who lodged a police report at 2am yesterday, said the PKR supporters had tailed her to the carpark after the public forum around midnight and surrounded her.
She said she was kicked, choked and hit on the head there.
Unpleasant experience: Loh showing a copy of the police report she made as she demonstrates how someone had held her neck during a press conference at her office in Bukit Mertajam Monday. Loh believes that the incident was a result of her trying to move closer to take pictures of Anwar earlier when he was shaking hands with the crowd.
“Someone had pulled my camera strap when I took photographs of Anwar. I shouted ‘jangan tolak’ (don’t push) and pulled back my camera because I was scared it would fall.
“After Anwar left the area, a man wearing a PKR vest shouted at me, saying I was not allowed to take pictures at such close range.
“I told him that I was just doing my job and did not want to quarrel with him. He moved towards me as though he was going to hit me,” she related at her office here yesterday.
The crowd then pulled the man aside and Loh ran towards the carpark.
Then she heard shouts of ‘Jangan bagi dia pergi. Tahan dia’ (Don’t let her leave. Stop her) and suddenly she felt someone kick her leg.
“Next thing I know, a group of men had surrounded me and someone grabbed me and pulled my T-shirt.
“Suddenly, I felt someone’s hand on my throat, choking me. I pushed as hard as I could to get away. As I was trying to escape, I felt a painful blow to the back of my head,” said a still-dazed Loh as she showed the bump on her head.
She added that there were two other press photographers there and one of them tried pulling her out of the crowd, telling her to quickly get on her motorcycle and leave.
“I don’t know who hit me from behind and I do not know who strangled me. It was just a blur of hands and bodies.
“All I was thinking at that time was that I needed to go back to office and quickly send my pictures as the deadline was near,” she said, adding she managed to break free and run away.
After sending her photos, Loh went to the Seberang Jaya hospital for a check-up as her head hurt.
She had an x-ray yesterday when the police investigation officer requested that she undergo further examination.
Loh said this was not the first time PKR security personnel were rude with photographers.
“Previously when we covered Anwar in July at the same place, the photographers were badly treated.
“This cannot go on and I not only speak for myself but for all the photographers who are on duty,” she said.
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