MORE PICS – MPKT RM1/2M Inflated Riot Damages; PM: Riots incited by the opposition party due to pressure for failing to bring development; No Debate

MORE PICS – RM1M Inflated Damages in Batu Buruk Riots; Police “flex their muscles” - they ”are not weak";;PM: Riots incited by the opposition party due to pressure for failing to bring development A Royal Commission? but NO debate

ABOVE & BELOW:One of the injured police personnel having VIP visitors
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ABOVE & BELOW: More pics of the crowds at the disbanded "ceremah"

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ABOVE & BELOW: UMNO Razali Idris (Ketua Penerangan Pergerakan Pemuda) making his police report about the burning of the flag

== = = == = == = == = == = == == = == == = == = = ABOVE: Malaysiakini report latest from Parliament says "No Debate" for Bloddy ceremah in Kuala Trengganu. Details H E RE . What a big disappointment to the opposition parties and all who want to see justice. And BELOW: More shots the CPO says from Malaysiakini latest report, details H E R E

The Speaker of the lower House, Ramli Ngah Talib rejected the emergency motion filed by YB Salahudin Ayub, as usual the matter was not deemed an urgent issue and was being investigated by the police.

= == = == = == = = === == and the Inflated Damages of the Riot at Batu Burok;

The NST boldly proclaimed it at RM1M initially and now the Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Trengganu (MPKT), has come out with a figure of RM1/2 M listing amongst others damages of 12 bonzai plants (cost RM2000 each) and 14 “papan iklan” etc

ABOVE: Setiausaha who gave the MPKT estimate RM1/2M

How on earth can they come out with such a huge figure for 3 hours of rioting?. The pictures below show only some road signs uprooted; 1 traffic light damaged, some plastic cones and dividers, a few potted plants uprooted for bonfires (keep warm?) and a few overturned dustbins.

ABOVE & BELOW: Can these broken Traffic Lights & Road Signs cost "RM1m damage" - NST or RM1/2M - MPKT??
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ABOVE & BELOW: Can these burnt out rubbish bins & Traffic Cones cost "RM1m damage" - NST or RM1/2M - MPKT??
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ABOVE & BELOW: Can these damagedrubbish bins & lamp post & Uprooted plants cost "RM1m damage" - NST or RM1/2M -MPKT??
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September 11, 2007 17:53 PM
Rioting Deliberate Opposition Tactic, Says PM

KUCHING, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- Saturday's rioting in Kuala Terengganu is a deliberate tactic by an opposition party after not being able to bring development to Terengganu, Datuk Seri Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday. The Prime Minister said the rioting could have been incited by the opposition party due to pressure for failing to bring development to the state during the five years it was in power. "This is proof of their irresponsibility and are devoid of ideas to develop the state," he told a news conference before departing for Singapore where he would deliver a keynote address at the Forbes Conference tonight. Abdullah said the opposition party had purposely intended to smear the Barisan Nasional (BN) government because they had no chance to win in the next general election. Seven people were injured, two with gunshot wounds, when opposition supporters clashed with police trying to disperse an illegal gathering at Jalan Sultan Mahmud. The riot was sparked when police ordered the crowd of 500 people to disperse peacefully. Despite five verbal warnings, the crowd became aggressive and verbally abused the Federal Reserve Unit personnel. They became even more violent and started hurling stones, home-made bombs and motolov cocktails at police.

Police have arrested 23 people in connection with the riot. Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, however, said police would not invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) against the rioters who have been detained but would deal with them under normal police procedures. He said the incident, which saw the burning of the national flag, showed the Opposition had bad intentions probably after seeing the people happy and grateful to the government as they ushered in the 50th independence anniversary celebrations. Abdullah hoped the people would appreciate and value the prevailing peace and security besides being able to reap the benefits of the country's progress.

On the 2006 Auditor-General's Report which highlighted several cases of mismanagement of public funds by ministries and government departments, the prime minister said ministers have been asked to explain the expenditures to the Auditor-General so that questions that arose could be clarifed. Abdullah said he issued the instruction at the cabinet meeting before he left for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Leaders' Summit in Sydney. He was confident that the relevant authorities would be able to explain and get to the bottom of the "questionable expenditures".

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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- The Dewan Rakyat today rejected a motion to debate the riot in Kuala Terengganu on Saturday night in which seven people, including four policemen, were injured.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib (ABOVE) dismissed the motion on the ground that although the issue was of public interest, it was noturgent. "What happened was the police were quelling a riot," he said.

When tabling the motion, Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) (ABOVE) said the Internal Security Ministry should explain why live bullets had been used against unarmed civilians. "There are question marks over police integrity in this episode as it appeared that there was a `trigger-happy' attitude vis-a-vis civilians without giving a second thought to people's lives and public safety," he said. Salahuddin claimed that such an incident would not have happened if
police issued permits to those wishing to organise peaceful gatherings. The riot was sparked when police instructed the crowd of hundreds at an illegal political gathering at Jalan Sultan Mahmud, close to Batu Burokin the Terengganu capital, to disperse.

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CPO: Cop was protecting women, kids
By R.S.N. MURALI; Star

KUALA TERENGGANU: The police constable who shot at rioters who attacked him at an illegal gathering here on Saturday night was trying to protect a group of women and children. State police chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Datuk Ayub Yaakob said Kons Azmi Husin, who was in plainclothes, was directing the women and children to leave the area as the situation in Jalan Sultan Mahmud was unsafe. About 20 men armed with sharp weapons and sticks then spotted Kons Azmi and shouted “This man is Special Branch!” before assaulting him.
SAC Ayub said Kons Azmi, 29, was beaten until he collapsed, bleeding from the head. “Lying on the ground, he took out his gun and fired four shots,” said the police chief yesterday. Two assailants were hit, one in the neck and the other in the shoulder. They have been warded at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital here and Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kelantan, and are reported to be in stable condition. The riot was sparked off when police tried to disperse an illegal gathering of more than 500 at a political gathering organised by Bersih, a coalition of 60 non-governmental organisations pushing for electoral reform.
The gathering was supported by opposition parties PAS, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP. Following the melee, seven people were injured and 23 arrested, of which 19 were later released. In Parliament yesterday, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang called for a public inquiry, saying that the incident could have been avoided if the police had not disregarded the Royal Police Commission’s recommendations to “respect the right to hold assemblies, meetings and processions”, ELIZABETH LOOI reports.
Datuk Mohd Aziz (BN – Sri Gading) countered that Bersih should not have held the gathering because it did not have a permit. At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu PAS commissioner Datuk Mustafa Ali said the gathering was part of Bersih’s programmes to educate the public on the need for fair elections, LISA GOH reports.

When asked about homemade bombs and Molotov cocktails that were reported to have been hurled at police, he replied: “We didn’t know about that. That claim was made by the police.”

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Anger over burning of Jalur Gemilang

KUALA LUMPUR: Two state Umno information chiefs have hit out at those who burnt the Jalur Gemilang during the riot in Kuala Terengganu on Saturday night.

Terengganu Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said that such acts reflected total disrespect to the nation’s 50 years of Independence. “I am shocked and sad over what happened especially, when there are reports of destruction to public property,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

ABOVE: Setting it ablaze: An unidentified person burning the Jalur Gemilang during the riot in Kuala Terengganu on Saturday night.

Kelantan Umno information chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad echoed Ahmad Shabery’s sentiments. “I condemn the Opposition’s tutelage of young minds, which had led to the burning of the national flag,” he added. Marang MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar expressed his disgust on the torching of the Jalur Gemilang. “They (rioters) should not be forgiven,” he said. The riot in Kuala Terengganu was raised in Parliament yesterday. Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said the incident had marred the “feel good” effect of the 2008 Budget as well as the 50th Merdeka celebration. He questioned why a peaceful political gathering held by Bersih, a coalition of political parties and non-governmental organisations, had turned into a confrontation between the police and the crowd.

“There should be a public inquiry into the incident,” he added. Terengganu Umno Youth information chief Razali Idris has lodged a police report against rioters who torched the Jalur Gemilang. More than a dozen Jalur Gemilang and Umno flags, and Barisan Nasional banners, were burned during the riot. MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said those involved in the riot should not have taken the law into their own hands. In Putrajaya, Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the clash showed that the Opposition was resorting to cheap publicity. “This is their way of attracting the people’s attention now and to get their support,” he said.

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Batu Buruk: BERSIH calls for a Royal Commission of Enquiry

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (ES) - Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) Terengganu Commissioner Datuk Mustafa Ali noted a group of individuals who came later at a roadblock erected by the police some half a kilometre away from the intended venue of the event on Sept 8, at Batu Buruk in Terengganu. Mustafa said several of these planted "agents of provocateur" had burned the flag of the rival party UMNO and instigated the crowd, who were prevented from reaching the intended venue for a political event. "But the people there could allegedly identify these (agents of provocateur) which had instigated the crowd as policemen who were not in uniform," he said. Mustafa stressed that provocations and instigations were not practices condoned and inculcated by the party, said the skirmish which resulted in two members of the public getting injured by live ammunition occurred after the public tried to nab these agents of provocateur. On reported claims by the police that they had acted in such a manner to defend themselves, Mustafa said that was "their version of the story".

"We have ours," he said. Mustafa said "this is the first time the police had used live ammunition in (disrupting) political event" said any used of live ammunition is contrary to "all convention". He said police reports had been filed and that the party would be instituting legal proceedings soon. In a press conference held at the party headquarters here today by a coalition of political party, non-governmental organizations and trade unions calling themselves as BERSIH, he also said a memorandum of protest would be sent to the Inspector General of Police, the state police and the National Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM). A motion had also been submitted to Parliament to debate the incident. Among those present at the press conference were Democratic Action Party (DAP) Central Executive Member Ronnie Liu, BERSIH steering committee member Syed Azman Syed Ahmad, PAS vice president Mohamad Sabu, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) secretary general Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) pro-tem secretary general S. Arutchelvan and human right group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) executive director Yap Swee Seng.

Syed Azman said BERSIH would go on with its agenda of pressing for a free and fair election in Malaysia by holding an event tomorrow in Seremban. He also called for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Batu Buruk incident. Mass demonstration for a free and fair election to be held Nov 10 Syed Azman who is also PAS central committee member, also reiterates BERSIH’s plan to hold a mass demonstration on Nov 10 in Kuala Lumpur to press for a free and fair election. Abdul Khalid said the action of the police using live ammunition was "most scary" and he said PKR was "offended" that the prime media had continued with the trend to portray the party as being responsible for skirmishes.

Mohamad noted an official reply to a question in Parliament from the government which had acknowledge that any political event from the opposition would be peaceful without provocation from the police. Arutchelvan said that a SUHAKAM report and the Police Royal Commission of Enquiry had acknowledge the "double standard" in giving out police permit for a public assembly. Image Ronnie meanwhile condemned deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who seemed to condone the action of the police and described Najib statement in letting the police to use live ammunition as "dangerous".
He said all photographs in the prime media were "all similar", and charged that the photos came from a "single source" and that they were "supplied by the authorities". Ronnie likened the action of the government to indirectly smeared the opposition of being violence like the tendency of the western media to "portray Palestinian youth throwing rocks at Israelis" without showing how army of the Zionist regime had first instigated violence. Yap condemns the "tragedy" and noted how live ammunition has now been used to disperse a crowd for the first time ever. –ES

=== == =Go H E R E see more Pics of the Riots & transcript of Debate - flag-burn

MORE PICS – Batu Buruk Riots; Parliament Heated 10 min Burn-Flag Debate But No Proper Debate on Bloody Ceremah; More shots fired; PM Abdullah: Riots incited by the Opposition