FULL REPORT PETALING JAYA: Some 30 activists from Perkasa and other Malay rights societies staged a protest outside PKR headquarters in Tropicana here this afternoon, setting alight a wooden effigy of Zaid Ibrahim, PKR supreme council member.
The effigy was a parody photograph of Zaid flexing his muscles and holding a bottle of Carlsberg beer, with the words "Hero of Traitors" emblazoned across the figure.
PKR official Radin Shamsulkamar said the protesters, who carried banners and placards, hurled obscenities and harassed the staff as well.
They also chanted slogans such as “Zaid kaki botol” (alcoholic) and “Chase him away from Selangor”. Zaid was PKR's election candidate in Hulu Selangor last month, where he became the subject of a similar character assassination campaign.
The protesters then read out a memorandum before handing it over to a PKR representative.
Radin said PKR was tipped off about a protest to be held tomorrow, leading him to file a report with the Tropicana police station. On returning from the police station at about 4.30pm, he was shocked to discover that the protest was already under way.
“I rushed back to the police station but the police told me that they did not receive instructions to take any action. No policeman showed up during or after the protest,” he added.
'Sultan higher than political parties'
Contacted later, Perkasa Youth chief Armand Azhar Abu Hanifah, who led the protest, said they were angry with Zaid for showing “disrespect” for the Selangor Sultan.
The protesters were irked by Zaid's comment on his blog yesterday that the sultan had not decreed that mosques were not to be used for political purposes, but instead was a personal view which carried little weight.
Zaid's blog comments were also carried in the Malay daily Sinar Harian today.
Armand demanded that Zaid publicy apologise to the sultan. He said a massive protest would be held outside Shah Alam mosque tomorrow.
“The Selangor government (led by PKR) should respect the sultan and they should understand that the ruler is higher than any political party. Zaid is adviser to the state government and his view represents that of Pakatan Rakyat.
“If Zaid doesn't apologise, then PKR should pack its bags and move out of its Selangor headquarters,” he told FMT.
Despite numerous attempts, Zaid could not be reached for comment.
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