Playing the blame game over brawl

MELAKA: The blame game has emerged after two groups accused each other of triggering a brawl at the PKR Youth congress.

It was a sad episode for the party and an indication that the truce between Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali apparently did not go down well among PKR wing members.

The pandemonium saw blows exchanged and stones pelted in an altercation, which apparently occurred between alleged supporters of the two leaders.

PKR deputy Youth chief Hilman Idham said full responsibility should be borne by the Youth secretariat.“It was their security team that blocked legitimate delegates and even certain Youth leaders from entering the hall, ” he said.

Hilman added that he was boycotting the PKR National Congress, which started yesterday afternoon, due to security concerns.

“The Youth leadership will make a police report and take action to get the congress declared null and void, ” he said.

PKR security team chief Gary Marimuthu, however, claimed that the ruckus was caused by Hilman’s supporters, who attempted to smuggle sacked Youth permanent chairman Muhammad Mizan Adli Mohd Noor into the hall.

“We were just trying to do our

job by stopping him (Muhammad Mizan) as well as others who did not have a tag from entering and it caused certain groups to be unhappy, hence triggering a fight.

“I regret the ill manners of some delegates who pointed the finger at my people, ” he said.

PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasrullah Md Nasir urged those who witnessed the incident and had captured a video or photograph to come forward so that he could pass it to the authorities.

“Such sabotage should never take place in an organisation, ” he said.

The commotion, which evolved into a brawl at noon, saw two supporters sustaining head injuries when they were pelted with stones while fistfights were witnessed outside the venue.

Heated arguments also broke out at the Wanita congress when a few outstation delegates claimed that they were not listed as attendees.

The commotion spilled onto the main road when the two rival factions – one wearing black T-shirts with the PKR logo and the other in blue party shirts – were seen shouting at and shoving each other.

Delegate Zaidi Yaakob from Sik, Kedah, believes the altercation occurred because a few Youth members were not allowed to enter the hall despite having entry passes.

“Arguments have been happening here since morning. It’s shameful, ” he added.

S. Pubalan, a delegate from Mas Gading, Sarawak, was taken aback to see such an ugly situation, saying that such things usually did not happen in Sarawak.

PKR advisory board chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said there were “ripples” within the party, but dismissed it as merely the dynamics of a political party.She said the issue of infighting was not a foreign thing to PKR, as it had taken place since the party’s inception in 1999.

She added, however, that there were many agents provocateurs at the congress.

“I’m not accusing anyone. Let the police do their investigations, ” she said in a press conference after closing the PKR Youth and Wanita congress.

She also urged all parties to keep their cool and not to provoke anyone, adding: “If there are provocations, things may turn into something else.”

Meanwhile, police have arrested two individuals in connection with the brawl.

Melaka Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Afnizar Ahmad said three reports had been lodged over the incident which left two people injured.

“The incident is being investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code for rioting, ” he said.