Unfortunately, many have misconstrued my previous article chastising RSN Rayer about his “UMNO Celaka” remark to mean that I condone what was previously said by the 3 UMNO reps as well as the actions of the mob which barged into the Penang State Assembly on Tuesday (20th May 2014)
Let me be very clear. I am completely against what was done by the demonstrators in Seberang Jaya on the 18th of January. Nothing can ever warrant the use of a tragic event like May 13 1969 to threaten your political adversary. Nothing. It amounted to a hit below the belt, and is nothing short of cheap and unethical
The reaction of the UMNO Youth members to Rayer’s statement is also unacceptable. Although RSN Rayer insulted their beloved political party using the word “celaka,” the matter could have been better handled
When Rayer said “UMNO Celaka” in the Penang State Assembly, he was protected by immunity. But when he repeated it again at a ceramah for the Bukit Gelugor by-election, the UMNO Youth should have just reported the matter to the authorities and left it as that
When they resorted to brute force, it was an indirect insult to the Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) as UMNO Youth implied the police are incapable of dealing with such a sensitive matter. It also showed their lack of respect for the laws of the land, as in order to get revenge, the mob committed trespass to land
Furthermore, an UMNO Youth leader also threatened to conduct a bigger protest if Rayer failed to apologise. Of course if UMNO Youth would like to assembly peacefully, it is within their rights enshrined in the Federal Consitution. However, do not forget that any untoward incident as a result of the protest will reflect badly on the ruling coalition.
There are definitely too many overreactions regarding the matter. Both sides of the political divide need to keep their members on a tight leash, especially those who are prone to commit violent acts. Most importantly, PDRM must act swiftly or further risk being labeled a laughing stock
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