BATU PAHAT: In what may be the first known case of violence this general election, a 74-year-old Barisan Nasional supporter was injured when he was punched and pushed off a stage in Dataran Yong Peng tonight.
Chen Fang-Hui was injured in the chest and leg following the attack by a man believed to be an opposition supporter.
The 8pm incident took place while MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is the BN candidate for Ayer Hitam, was giving a speech on the same stage.
It is understood that the altercation took place following a misunderstanding between rival sets of supporters, after Chen was said to have taken down a PKR flag located nearby.
A short video clip of incident showed several people holding PKR flags watching just off stage as some shouting was heard off camera.
Shortly after, Chen was seen being pushed off the stage by a man who then quickly jumped off the stage and joined the others who were carrying the PKR flags, before moving off. The alleged punch, however, was not captured on camera.
Wee, who shared pictures of Chen after the incident on his Facebook page, said he was disappointed that the campaign trail had turned nasty because of a handful of opposition supporters.
He said no matter what one felt about another’s political ideologies, violence would not solve anything.
“At the time of the incident, I was giving a speech on stage when I heard a commotion coming from the rear, then saw the victim being punched and pushed off the stage.
“I was made to understand that the incident occurred because of (a misunderstanding about) party flags, but is it necessary for a senior citizen to have this done to him, with such violence that he is hurt?
“The victim is now receiving treatment for injuries to his chest and leg and has been told that he needs to have a more thorough check-up following the fall from the stage,” he posted.
Meanwhile, district police chief Assistant Commissioner Abdul Wahib Musa said police have summoned the opposition supporter to have his statement recorded.
“At present, everything is under control but police will continue to monitor the situation to ensure nothing untoward happens,” he said.