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    01 May 2012| last updated at 09:43PM

    MCA Youth: Anwar, Azmin should own up to turning gathering into riot



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    KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth today asked opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy president Azmin Ali to take responsibility for the rioting during Saturday's protest gathering in the federal capital.

     

    Its secretary-general Datuk Chai Kim Sen said their claims that their hand gestures to each other were not an order for the crowd to breach the police cordon at Dataran Merdeka were not acceptable.
     
    In a statement today Chai said whether or not Anwar was giving the go-ahead to Azmin to breach the police cordon, the riot had definitely started because of that event where the protesters had broken through the barriers.
     
    "It is not surprising if their excuse was only an afterthought to escape any responsibility.
     
    "After seeing the aftermath and the violence towards the police by the protesters, they had probably decided to avert responsibility by claiming that they had not signalled anyone to break the barriers," Chai noted.
     
    Chai said both Anwar and Azmin should own up to their action and apologise to the police and to all Malaysians for causing the barriers to be breached, whether directly or indirectly, which turned the gathering into a bloody and vicious riot.
     
    In KOTA BAHARU, Kota Baharu Umno division chief Datuk Mohd Fatmi Che Salleh said the gathering was ill-intended, which was, to tarnish the government's image by creating chaos.
     
    "If they're really into politicking, do it during the general election which will be held soon. No need to create trouble and chaos because Malaysians generally do not like violence, they love peace," he said at a press conference after opening the Kelantan International Bird Festival at the Candik Arena, Sri Cemerlang. 
     
    Mohd Fatmi said the protest rally participants formed only a small fraction of the country's population.
     
    "The silent majority is much bigger and they dislike violence. This is the most important thing," he said.
     
    In KEMAMAN, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the involvement of youths in Saturday's unruly rally did not indicate a decline in the overall support of youths for the government.
     
    He said as exposed by YouTube, blogs and websites, many of the youths involved were sponsored by the opposition who took advantage of the gathering to discredit the government, and they (the youths) had acted on emotions without knowing the real truth.
     
    "They were impulsive, hot-blooded and their minds were easily poisoned and incited by the opposition.
     
    "But I believe the majority of youths in this country are against rioting and understand that the rally which turned violent was part of the opposition's political agenda," he said after handing out Bata footwear to 627 members of the Kemaman Fixie Bicycle Club, today.
     
    "The rally organisers must be made responsible and they cannot 'lempar batu sembunyi tangan' (throw stone and hide the hand) as they have encouraged young people to revolt," he added. -- BERNAMA
     
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