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A group of 20 people appeared at a ceramah hosted by MUDA and started shouting while the youth party president, Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, was speaking last night, 16 October
According to Free Malaysia Today, the rowdy youngsters reportedly shouted “penipu” (liar) when Syed Saddiq was halfway through his speech.
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong were speaking at the event as well, but the group only showed up at the premises on their kapcais after the last speaker, the MUDA president, was given the stage.
They reportedly revved the throttle of their kapcais loudly to disrupt his speech.
“It makes me sad when there are youths who have to beg from political elites to make a living,” Malaysiakini quoted Syed Saddiq as saying while he was responding to the group.
“I feel sorry for them (the rowdy group). This is the reality of today, so how are we going to build a progressive country? This is not the future I want to build for them, this is not the reason I entered politics.”
“Win or lose, I can promise that I will only protect you.”
Image via New Straits Times
During the commotion, MUDA members and supporters, as well as the crowd attending the event, shouted back at the group to “balik” (go home)
Syed Saddiq’s communications head, Farhan Iqbal, told reporters later that the rowdy youngsters were likely sent by UMNO, reported Malaysiakini.
Elaborating further on Twitter, he said he noticed the group near the ceramah area about an hour before Syed Saddiq’s turn to speak. He was anticipating a provocation by the group.
“We were ready. When Saddiq started speaking, they started shouting. I told them nicely, ‘There’s no need to do this if you don’t like it. (You) can just go back.'”
Cerita dia macam ni. Awal-awal satu group motor datang. Dah perhatikan dari awal lagi. Aku sendiri berdiri depan group ni tunggu mereka buat provokasi. Sejam lebih tunggu, dengar perbualan mereka memang tunggu @SyedSaddiq berucap.Kami dah sedia.pic.twitter.com/tJKH5XXNex
— Farhan (@lamkanahraf) October 16, 2022
The event organiser then instructed the auxiliary police to monitor the scene.
The officers in Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) reflective vests can be seen trying to block the group from approaching further.
In response to Farhan’s allegation, Muar division UMNO youth leader Mohd Helmy Latif affirmed that his division had nothing to do with the commotion
“Many people asked me if the UMNO Muar youth (wing) did it, I swear that there was no instruction from me as the Muar UMNO youth leader to do this hateful thing. I reject (the provocation) as hard as I could. We don’t have time for this,” he said in a tweet.
Ramai yang tanya saya betul ke tak Pemuda UMNO MUAR buat, saya bgtau kat sini yang saya berani bersumpah tiada arahan dari saya selaku KETUA PEMUDA UMNO BHGN MUAR untuk buat perkara terkutuk ni. Saya menentang sekeras kerasnya. Kami tiada masa utk ini.
— Helmy Latif (@helmyabdlatif) October 16, 2022