PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has taken a neutral position over his bodyguard's alleged handgun-flashing incident in Jasin, Malacca yesterday.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur today, Anwar said his bodyguard had told him that he was being threatened by hecklers who were blocking PKR's bus.

"His position (bodyguard) was that he followed SOP and that he was threatened, the whole group of gangsters came (to him).


"I leave it to the police. The point to establish is whether the security did it (attempt to flash gun) in self defense and according to SOP," he said when approached at a PKR open house at Pantai Dalam this morning.

Yesterday, NTV7's mandarin news had reported that two police personnel in plain clothes had grabbed the bodyguard before pushing the handgun back into the hip holster.


anwar malacca jasin tour bus bodyguard gun 090912
The bodyguard was subsequently detained and his handgun was disarmed at the scene.

PKR's campaign bus was blocked by about 20 people when attempting to reach Kampung Rim for an event. The bus was struck by red paint.


Anwar stressed that the handgun was licenced.

‘Bodyguard didn’t point gun at hecklers’

However, he denied that his bodyguard had pointed the weapon at the hecklers, dismissing it as "Umno's and Perkasa's version" of the story.

"They attacked us for half an hour before that... It is all videotaped and there are photographs.


pantai dalam pkr open house 090912"They attacked us. They stopped the bus and we had to really avoid the group but now they want to say that we provoked (the incident)," he said.
 

Responding to the need for the security detail, Anwar said he had no choice as the government still refused to act against the series of attacks on Pakatan functions.

"The fact that none of these Umno or Perkasa people were arrested whatsoever throughout these incidents in the last few months is shocking.

"It shows how incompetent and irresponsible Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein are," he said.


Anwar described the series of harassments as acts of desperation and warned that they may backfire and swing public opinion.- malaysiakini

Up to police to investigate gun incident, says Anwar



Anwar's bodyguard released after police record statement...

The Melaka police have released a bodyguard of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after recording his statement for allegedly drawing a pistol and pointing it at the public at a function organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Kampung Baru Rim, Jasin, near here yesterday.

Melaka Crime Investigation Department head, ACP Raja Shahrom Raja Abdullah, said the 37-year-old was released at 9pm yesterday at the Jasin police headquarters.

He said the man was detained following five police reports lodged over the incident which happened between 3.30pm and 4pm yesterday. The man was investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and was released on police bail after police recorded his statement, he told a media conference at the Melaka police contingent headquarters here today.

Raja Shahrom said preliminary police investigations found that the man had a licence to carry the firearm and based on his statement, he was just doing his job as a personal bodyguard.

However, police would conduct further investigation and would look at the video-recording and pictures taken by members of the public at the scene, he added.

In the 3.15pm incident yesterday, the body guard, who was travelling in a Toyota Camry, got out of the car and drew out his pistol and pointed it at a group of men who were trying to prevent a bus, which Anwar was in, from going to the PKR function. The action of the bodyguard was witnessed by those at the scene who proceeded to disarm him.

Raja Shahrom said police would also investigate into an allegation that the bus was splashed with red paint at the scene. – Bernama



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