Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad condemned today the lawyers who allegedly used RM150,000 from a private firm to hire youngsters and forcibly occupy a Hindu temple in Subang on Monday.
Earlier, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin disclosed the alleged role of the firm’s lawyers in triggering the unrest at the site of the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam in USJ 25.
Muhyiddin told reporters that the information was gleaned from preliminary police investigations and questioning of the two lawyers who were among the 21 people arrested and remanded over the unrest.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad condemned today the lawyers who allegedly used RM150,000 from a private firm to hire youngsters and forcibly occupy a Hindu temple in Subang on Monday.
Dr Mahathir was particularly critical of the lawyers’ alleged decision to employ the group, including permanent residency holders, to invade the temple grounds, believed to be over a protracted land dispute.
“These are foreigners who do not understand Malaysian culture,” he said to reporters at the National Heart Institute (IJN) after visiting a fireman here who was critically injured during violence outside the temple yesterday.
Earlier, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin disclosed the alleged role of the firm’s lawyers in triggering the unrest at the site of the Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthanam in USJ 25.
Muhyiddin told reporters that the information was gleaned from preliminary police investigations and questioning of the two lawyers who were among the 21 people arrested and remanded over the unrest.
Today, Dr Mahathir also condemned the incident on Monday, saying the rioters then were not ordinary protesters and appeared to be out for bloodshed and death.
“We cannot allow this. Although we want to be liberal to allow for demonstrations but trying to kill someone is not a demonstration, it’s attempted murder,” he said.
He pointed out how wounded emergency worker Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim suffered life-threatening injuries and said tragedy was only averted by his timely transfer to the National Heart Institute (IJN) yesterday.
The Emergency Medical Rescue Service worker was believed to have been assaulted by demonstrators yesterday, although one faction from the temple asserted that he was run over by a fire truck trying to manoeuvre out of danger.
“The damage was such that a little bit more, he would have died.
“It is fortunate nowadays that we have the means to ensure a person’s body continues to function and such equipment is only found here in IJN,” he said.
Source: The Malay Mail Online
