A meet-the-people session turned ugly

thestar.com

IPOH: A meet-the-people session here led by Perak Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali turned ugly on Sunday night but the cool Mentri Besar slickly turned things around, thanking the hecklers instead for their actions.

The crowd in Buntong jeered the VIPs instead of cheering but Tajol Rosli then thanked a constituent for throwing an egg. That stopped them. The night had started well with 66 non-governmental organisations from the Ipoh Barat constituency gathering but chaos took over as soon as the VIPs took to the rostrum.

At first, only a few jeered the VIPs, including Perak MIC chief Datuk G. Rajoo and incumbent Buntong assemblyman Datuk Yik Phooi Hong, but the taunting soon grew more intense and physical.

Unhappy lot: The residents jeering the VIPs during the meetthe- people session in Buntong on Sunday night.
When Tajol Rosli, Rajoo and Yik were presented with garlands, an egg was hurled onto the stage, missing the VIPs.

At the same time, a man made his way up to the stage and charged towards the VIPs but the policemen managed to remove him.

Thanking the group for the egg and their jeers, Tajol Rosli said: “I was formerly a Youth leader, I’ve been president of the Malaysian Youth Council and Asian Youth Council. So this is nothing new to me, thank you very much.”

Tajol Rosli stressed that there were Malays in Malay-majority areas who were angry with Umno and Chinese in Chinese-majority areas who were also angry with the MCA and Gerakan.

“And of course when we come to an Indian area, there will be Indians who are angry with the MIC. This is because we are moderate parties. We do not only fight for a single race.

“I don’t only fight for the Malays, Yik does not only fight for the Chinese, the same for Rajoo who does not only fight for the Indian community.

“We fight for all races,” added Tajol Rosli, who was later swarmed by squatters handing him letters for their land application.

Tajol Rosli then introduced his two special assistants, telling those who had not given their letters to hand them over to his assistants.

Before leaving the function, Tajol Rosli announced that the Perak exco had, before the dissolution of Parliament, approved more than 40ha in Ulu Johan, Papan, for the relocation of 562 squatters from Buntong, which has the highest number of Indian voters in Perak.