SHAH ALAM: "It is better to be in the lock-up than to get drunk."
Those were the words of Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos after a magistrate's court today granted a three-day remand order against him to facilitate investigations into the beer smashing stunt at the Selangor state secretariat (SUK) building yesterday.
Magistrate P. Sarulatha granted the remand order which will end on Sunday about 12.45pm.
The Malaysian NGOs Coalition chairman and Sungai Besar Umno division chief remained unfazed as he flashed a smile to press photographers when he was led out of the court house escorted by the police.
Jamal and seven of his employees were remanded to be investigated under Section 143 of the Penal Code for participating in an illegal assembly, read together with Section 268 of the same code for creating a public nuisance.
All of them were arrested at 1.45am today in Sekinchan, Sabak Bernam, by the Selangor police contingent headquarters which was assisted by its Shah Alam district counterpart.
Just minutes before the handcuffed Jamal was taken into the court room, he tried to justify his act of smashing crates of beer at the SUK in protest of the Better Beer Festival 2017, which had been banned by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, or any attempt to hold similar events in Selangor.
"Many other NGOs had protested against the beer festival as they do not want any untoward incidence to take place in Selangor. But it all went unheeded by the Selangor state government. They had voiced their objection but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
"That was why I went to SUK yesterday to send a message to the Selangor state government that there is nothing beneficial about drinking beer. It brings nothing but social ills," said Jamal.
Jamal, who was clad in a blazer and a red collared shirt, remained defiant over his actions, vowing to continue to fight any attempt to hold a beer festival in the state.
"Although my friends and I have been arrested, put in lock-up and will possibly be charged, we do not care. We will continue with our struggles. Our arrests today will not affect our spirit to continue to fight for the beer festival to be banned, cancelled and to see that it is never ever held in Selangor.
"I hope that the state government, under the leadership of (Datuk Seri) Azmin Ali (Selangor Menteri Besar) will not bow to pressure from DAP. The only party that would benefit is the organiser, who is from DAP, which will rake in millions of ringgit from the beer fest.
“That is why DAP is adamant for the beer fest to go on. They forget what would happen if this beer fest is allowed to take place and becomes an annual event. The negative impact will affect the people and youth of Selangor," said Jamal.
Jamal had called for the beer fest to be banned, saying that it was not only the Malay-Muslims who were against it, and not all Chinese and Indians liked consuming the beverage.
The Chinese community, he added, do not like seeing their children participating in beer fests which was an immoral activity and did not bring any good.
Meanwhile, lawyer Khairul Anuar Kashim, counsel representing Jamal and his group, said they were arrested while having a meal at a restaurant in Sekinchan.
He said Jamal had just concluded a meeting and was dining with the seven people, including his driver, bodyguards and staff, when they were all arrested.
“Jamal’s employees were at the SUK building for work and they are not his supporters. They have all extended their cooperation to the police.”
Selangor Criminal Investigations Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat said Jamal led a group of 25 supporters to protest against the Better Beer Festival 2017 about 10.15am yesterday.
Fadzil said Jamal proceeded to smash 10 crates filled with beer bottles with a sledgehammer at the SUK building’s main gate.
Jamal had resorted to doing so after he was prevented from entering the building to deliver the crates to Azmin. H
e then walked off and headed to his luxury MPV, leaving the scene without saying a word.
SUK enforcement chief Misnun Ramli gave chase to Jamal's car, asking that Jamal clean up the mess but he was ignored. A police report was subsequently lodged.