LAWMAKERS and activists have slammed Shah Alam police chief Shafien Mamat for zooming in on the organisers instead of the troublemakers over yesterday’s fracas at the Nothing to Hide forum.

“He is not behaving like a top cop should,” said DAP leader Zaid Ibrahim.

“The organisers did not cause the mayhem, so the police should be more interested in finding the troublemakers,” said the former federal minister who was present at the forum at the Raja Muda Musa Hall in Shah Alam.

Shafien said yesterday police would quiz Bersatu members for the security lapse and failure to prevent the disturbance caused by at least five youths throwing shoes and chairs and lighting up flares while Dr Mahathir Mohamad spoke on stage during a Q&A session.

Shafien said police had permitted the forum to take place upon the condition that the organisers guaranteed the safety and security of the participants.

“The organiser’s responsibility is to ensure public safety and that no one will cause trouble and so forth,” he said.

Shafien said no police reports had yet been filed, and police was conducting a general investigation into the event.

Hakam president Ambiga Sreenevasan said police did not prioritise the victims.

“I cannot understand the reaction of the police, which is telling in itself. Is it because Umno may be involved? What does this mean? 

“What happened could constitute rioting and is extremely serious. The priority must be to apprehend and investigate the perpetrators of the violence. 

Ambiga, who is former president of the Malaysian Bar, condemned the police’s failure to open a formal investigation into the three detained suspects.

“I understand that the IGP has said there is no investigation yet because there is no police report. 

“This is simply outrageous as they are obliged to act when an offence is committed without the need for a report,” she said.

In a Facebook post, Petaling Utara MP Tony Pua said, “Instead of saying we will track down the rioters, first thing the Selangor CPO says he wants to do is to question the organisers for ‘failing to ensure security’.

“Next time a bank or a shop or a house gets robbed, yes, summon the owners for failing to screen the robbers.”

Activist and lawyer Siti Kasim said: “This is like accusing the owner of a house who got burgled and grilled them on why they don’t secure their house like a fortress instead of questioning the burglars. 

“Nothing he said makes sense if they want to question the organiser on their so called ‘lapses in safety’.  It’s a forum lah… open to public…”

Siti said it was impossible for organisers to prevent such disruptions. 

“These people came with bad intention.  Every item in the hall can be used as a weapon.  Unless they installed a screening machine or do like the airport… but what have we become if we have to do things like that for a public forum?”

Professor of law at University of Malaya, Azmi Sharom quipped, “because if a person gets mugged you investigate him for not learning martial arts!”.

An aide to Dr Mahathir told The Malaysian Insight there was a lack of police presence.

“I wonder if you realised what I thought was pertinent…the lack of presence or absence of uniformed police personnel.

“Uniformed presence would have been a deterrent factor. The question is, why were there no uniformed personnel when Nothing to Hide 1.0 and the Nazri Aziz debate attracted heavy police presence?” he said.

Dr Mahathir spoke for six minutes in the first Nothing to Hide forum in June 2015 in Putra World Trade Centre, before he was stopped by the police.

Yesterday, police detained three youths, aged 17 to 19, suspected of causing the fracas. Two of them are college students in Shah Alam. 

The forum was attended by more than 2,000 people.

Dr Mahathir spoke about the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal before taking questions from the floor.

Dr Mahathir’s wife Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, Bersatu president Muhiyddin Yassin, Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir, Perkasa vice-president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, veteran DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng were among the forum’s audience. – August 14, 2017.