BERSATU’S Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is acting like a drama queen, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said, in response to the Pakatan Harapan minister’s claims of being assaulted by Barisan Nasional supporters yesterday during nomination of the Semenyih by-election candidates. 

Asyraf denied Syed Saddiq was headlocked by Umno Youth exco member Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, yesterday.

“I called Papagomo to ask him what had happened. He told me that he did not choke Syed Saddiq. He had merely held him to protect him from the crowd.

“He said that he told Syed Saddiq that he was being stupid by passing through the BN zone. He was only trying to protect Syed Saddiq. 

“This is just the start of drama which they will play out in the next 14 days,” said Asyraf during a campaign run in Taman Kesuma in Semenyih last night.

Yesterday Syed Saddiq, who is the Pakatan Harapan and Bersatu Youth chief, said he was nearly attacked by opposition supporters after nomination closed for the Semenyih by-election.

The youth and sports minister said he was walking towards his car unescorted when he was approached by the group.

“I was cursed at, but I greeted them politely and continued walking. However, they kept pursuing me.

 “When I was surrounded, police came my assistance. Members of PAS Unit Amal, who witnessed the incident, also came to help after seeing the BN supporters’ physical reaction.”

Syed Saddiq posted a minute-long video, showing people in blue shirts chanting as they made their way towards him.

He lodged a police report at the Sungai Way police station, claiming he suffered abuse and was threatened by Papagomo.

Police said that they have opened an investigation into two police reports pertaining to the incident.

Syed Saddiq’s video clip has gone viral, as has another video which showed Papagomo had not headlocked the minister as claimed but had only placed a hand on his shoulder.

“The main drama queen is Syed Saddiq. Previously he posed bare-bodied in an ice bath after a football match,” said Asyraf.

“Today we are curious to know what he actually went through the BN zone in Semenyih,” said Asyraf.

He said Syed Saddiq had provoked the BN supporters by walking through their zone.

He said Syed Saddiq was aping the Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad in trying to confuse the public.
 
Asyraf was referring to the prime minister’s remarks yesterday that PAS would not be supporting Umno in the Semenyih by-election.

“His ‘grandfather’ (Dr Mahathir) is also a drama queen. Dr Mahathir’s remarks about PAS not supporting Umno are stupid. How can he say that when the proposer for the BN candidate is a PAS member?” 

“If PAS do not want to support us, they would not have turned up in such large numbers for the nomination.” 

The Semenyih by-election on March 2 will see a four-corner fight between PH’s Muhammad Aiman Zailani, who is the son-in-law of the late incumbent Bakhtiar Mohd Nor; BN’s Zakaria Hanafi, PSM’s Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul and independent Kuan Chee Heng, a social activist.

Until the May general election, when the semi-urban Malay-majority seat in Selangor fell to PH, Semenyih had been an Umno stronghold since 1959. – February 17, 2019.