Cow head protest not Umno’s doing, says Khalid

(The Star) –  In a rare gesture, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has defended Umno over the recent protests against the relocation of a Hindu temple in Section 23.

The protest, he said, was not orchestrated by the party.

“We must understand that the provocative, offensive use of a severed cow head occurred due to a misunderstanding over the issue. It just should not have happened.

“Some of the residents who protested were Umno members but their action was not representative of the party’s stand,” he said.

Khalid added that he had information about those involved in the demonstration.

“We must be clear that their actions were of their own accord,” he told the State Assembly when replying to Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim of the DAP.

Khalid disagreed with Ng that Umno was a “racial party” that had orchestrated the protest.

“We should not question if Umno operates on a racial platform but should instead, show the strength of the Pakatan Rakyat which represents all races,” he said.

Khalid said the protests that occurred in Selangor served as a lesson for all on the issue of religion and places of worship.