Papagomo to lodge report against Syed Saddiq for 'distress suffered'

SEMENYIH: Blogger Papagomo (pic) will lodge a police report against Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman for allegedly causing him distress after claims he had assaulted the Bersatu Youth chief.

Papagomo, whose real name is Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, was released on bail on Wednesday after a three-day remand for allegedly assaulting Syed Saddiq on Feb 16.

Commenting on the issue, Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said police found that the assault was a misunderstanding and he advised Papagomo to lodge a police report.

"He had to spend time in a police lock-up over the false report Syed Saddiq lodged claiming that Papagomo had placed him in a headlock.

" It was not a headlock but a hug. He was putting his hand over Syed Saddiq's shoulders," he said.

Asyraf claimed that Papagomo, who is an Umno Youth exco member, did this because he regarded Syed Saddiq as a close friend but was disappointed to learn that he had used the incident to gain political mileage.

He added that Umno Youth had boundaries and would have not defended the 36-year-old Papagomo if he was in the wrong.

Asyraf added that Syed Saddiq also violated rules set by the Election Commission by passing through Barisan Nasional's zone at the nomination centre at Dewan Sri Cempaka.

"That, in itself, was a form of provocation. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he could have mistaken supporters from Parti Sosialis Malaysia for Pakatan Harapan's because they both use red," he said when accompanying Barisan's Semenyih candidate Zakaria Hanapi on his campaign trail at Kampung Sesapan Batu Minangkabau on Thursday (Feb 21).

On Feb 16, Syed Saddiq who is also Muar MP, alleged that he was attacked by a group of Barisan supporters after the nomination process for the Semenyih by-election at the Seri Cempaka Hall of the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ).

A 22-second video clip of the incident showed the Youth and Sports Minister heavily guarded and escorted out by policemen.