Merlimau fracas: What happened on Saturday?

Slipping out of national consciousness since last year’s by-election, the small town of Merlimau, Malacca was thrust back into the limelight last Saturday following a fracas where opposition assemblypersons were attacked with stones and eggs.

According to Malacca PAS commissioner Adly Zahari, the flashpoint was when an Indian woman started speaking at the high-tea event, triggering a “gatecrash” attempt by protesters.

The roughly 200 people, mostly youths, protested against the presence of Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreneevasan at Taman Seri Merlimau for a high-tea event organised by the local PAS Supporters Club.

Ambiga, who was invited by the group as early as February this year, cancelled her appearance at the last minute upon advise from the police. 

Malaysiakini traces the events leading to the stand-off between anti-riot police and about 200 anti-Ambiga protesters, based on social media sources and testimony from PAS, DAP, Umno and Perkasa:

3pm: Protesters start gathering at the Jalan Merlimau Batu Gajah route to Taman Seri Merlimau where the venue, the local PAS headquarters, is located.

3pm-5pm: Motorists heading to the venue are heckled by the protesters. Videos posted by Malacca PAS and pro-establishment blogger Aloq Laloq show the protesters clearly associating with Perkasa and Umno.

In PAS’ video, a car is hit by protesters and kicked by a youth who is later pulled away by a policeman. A group of older men, also in Malacca Perkasa T-shirts and red headbands appear to negotiate with the police officer and they walk out of frame.

“(The car) knocked his leg,” someone is heard saying in the video.

Another video by Aloq Laloq  shows a police officer informing PAS’ Unit Amal members that his men will persuade the protesters not to enter the housing area. 

Blogger Zui Yan Hong, who said that he lives at Taman Seri Merlimau, posted photographs of anti-riot police guarding the venue.

“Late Saturday afternoon, a group of police suddenly arrived at my housing area. My neighbours immediately shut their doors and windows,” Zui wrote.

5pm: The programme starts. Speakers include local politicians and PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin.

Protesters told to disperse

6pm: Merlimau assemblyperson Roslan Ahmad leaves the protest and tells demonstrators to disperse. He said that also with him at the protest since 5pm were Serkam assemblyperson Ghazale Muhamad and Sungai Rambai assemblyperson Hasan Abd Rahman.

Roslan claimed Jasin MP Ahmad Hamzah was there, too, for a short while but Ahmad said he was not at there at all.

Adly said that by this time, no one could get past the protesters to enter Taman Seri Merlimau.

DAP’s assemblyperson Khoo Poay Tiong said that the protesters tried to “gatecrash” the venue via an entrance that was not guarded by the police, but the men in blue manage to stop them.

6.50pm: DAP’s Bandar Hilir assemblyperson Tey Kok Kiew leaves the venue and is pelted with stones, eggs and pieces of wood. His car is damaged but he drives on, leaving using a back road. He then lodges a police report. Khoo’s car is egged and he decides to reverse back into the compound to wait it out.

However, Jasin Umno Youth secretary Jezlee Tit said that the protesters were retaliating as one of them was hit. He admits that Umno had organised the protest but denies instructing the egging and pelting. Malacca Perkasa also condemns the use of projectiles. 

Blogger Zui’s photograph shows a protester holding an egg in his hand.

Adly says that an ethnic Indian woman from the audience starts to speak, triggering a “gatecrash” attempt.

“The protesters may have heard her and mistook her for Ambiga, thinking that Ambiga managed to slip in, so they tried to gatecrash the venue,” Adly said, adding that they were stopped by riot police and about 30 PAS Unit Amal members.

7.40pm: Khoo leaves the venue via Jalan Merlimau/Batu Gajah. Other participants left earlier via a back road out of Taman Seri Merlimau.

8pm: Adly leaves the venue. Both he and Khoo confirm that when they left, about 20 protesters were still gathered at Jalan Merlimau/Batu Gajah.

“They were yelling out my name and telling me to stay away from Merlimau and return to my constituency,” Khoo said.