Khalid Samad: Cow head will haunt Umno in Bagan Pinang
Khalid Samad said Umno will pay a price for the actions of the cow-head protestors at the upcoming Bagan Pinang by-election, in Negri Sembilan where almost 20 percent of voters are Indians.
“Nothing can negate the damage that Umno has done to itself.”
While he welcomed the decision by the Attorney-General yesterday to charge the cow head protestors, he questioned why authorities took so long to act.
“It’s ridiculous. This should have been done at the very beginning because their actions were clearly detrimental to the country and contradicts the prime minister’s 1Malaysia motto.”
The Shah Alam PAS member of Parliament said he was not calling for the Internal Security Act (ISA) to be used against the protestors but the sentence handed down to them should fit their offence.
“This will determine if authorities are really serious about tackling such behavior.”
Khalid also continued to accuse Umno for instigating the cow head protest and said the government’s move to charge the protestors will no absolve the real culprits.
On Oct 30, 50 protestors marched from the state mosque to the state secretariat with a severed cow head to protest the relocation of the 150-year-old Hindu temple from Section 19.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the Muslim protestors were from Umno, PKR and PAS, but this claim has been denied by Pakatan Rakyat.
Meanwhile, Khalid said the alternative site being proposed for the temple in Section 23 is next to the Nitto Denko factory and is located about 500 metres from any homes.
The empty factory lot belongs to the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) and it was the residents themselves who proposed the new site.
“I don’t think there should be any objections from protestors. If there are, then it clearly shows they don’t want Hindus to have their rights.”
Meetings will first be held with the temple committee before public hearings are held to listen to any concerns from the public.
