PETALING JAYA, 27 FEBRUARY, 2012: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) today wants Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin to step up and explain his stand on the assault which happened during a PKR ceramah in Pahang yesterday.

Its communications director, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (left) also said he wants Khairy and Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) to give their explanation about the incident.

"I demand Khairy and Perkasa to step up and give their stand towards the act of those youngsters who had become Umno's tool," said Nik Nazmi during a press conference at the party's headquarters today.

Earlier, he and PKR vice president lodged police reports over the incident that happened last night, at the Tropicana police station in Petaling Jaya around 3:30pm.

Commenting further about the incident, he said he is disappointed as the incident failed to depict the maturity and democratic practice in this country.

"This is a constitutional country where the rakyat can choose which party they believe in.

"If Umno is serious, then I ask Khairy to ask the prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to have an academic debate with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," said Nik Nazmi.

Meanwhile, PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar (right) asked Umno to stop these act of intimidations, and claimed that there might even be a planned agenda as if the attackers know they were going to get away with what they did.

She said the issue is that they cannot use physical threats.

Nurul Izzah also questioned the role of the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein in dealing with this matter as well as the prime minister himself.

"We were not even given the space to give explanation, or meet and greet the people as we have rights in our country… a multi-party democracy," she added.

Yesterday, a PKR ceramah held at Felda Lepar Hilir 1 in Gambang, Pahang where Nurul Izzah and Nik Nazmi was scheduled to speak from 9pm to midnight , disrupted when a group of rowdy youths caused barged into the event and started a commotion.

According to reports, the trouble was purportedly created by local Umno leaders, who had set up loudspeakers near the coffeeshop in the vicinity where the ceramah was being held.
 
Later on, several youths tried to assault Nurul Izzah which prompted the police to come to her aid and escort her, along with Nik Nazmi, out of the Felda scheme to avoid them.

The scheme is located under the Paya Besar parliamentary seat held by Umno’s Abdul Manan Ismail.

- mD