Jamal punched in the face

KUALA LUMPUR: Sungai Besar Umno division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos was allegedly punched in the face during a Red Shirts gathering in Ampang yesterday.

In the 4.25pm incident, Jamal and his red shirt supporters got into a scuffle with Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin at the Ampang Point mall as she and Parti Keadilan Rakyat members were promoting the Nov 19 Bersih rally. Jamal claimed he was punched in the face by a Bersih supporter.

Police were on hand to prevent the situation from escalating.

Jamal had announced previously that the Red Shirts will hold a large-scale assembly this Saturday in response to the Bersih 5 gathering.

Meanwhile, police have issued a final warning to organisers of the Bersih 5 rally to call off the gathering scheduled at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 19. The warning also applies to the Red Shirts.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sabtu Osman said if the groups still go ahead with the rally, then police would adopt its own strategies to address it.

“They will have to face the consequences if they go ahead,” he told reporters after closing the IGP Karate Trophy championship here yesterday.

Muhammad Sabtu said the rally is on a Saturday when people are out shopping and going about their business.

“There are other ways to air their views. Just as a precaution, some roads will be closed to traffic,” he said, adding that the rally will not only cause inconvenience to road users and members of the public but also tarnish the image of the country.