ABOUT 50 local and outstation supporters had come to the Shah Alam court complex yesterday to support the 12 men who were charged in connection with the “cow head” protest outside the Selangor State Secretariat building on Aug 28.

As the 12 were brought out of the courtroom to the temporary police lock up at the basement of the court complex, shouts

THE 12 people to be charged in court this morning for the controversial 'cow-head' incident on Aug 26 are expected to plead that their intentions to conduct the protest that day had been misconstrued and had been unfairly turned into a religious issue.

“Such an overt display of religious discord is almost unheard of in Malaysia, which has carefully nurtured racial harmony among its three main ethnic groups, Malay Muslims, Chinese and Indians,” reported CBS News on Aug 28 on the recent ‘cow-head’ incident in Shah Alam.

One of the qualities that Malaysia is well-known for is its racial and religious tolerance.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail says he will be able to decide earliest by next week whether to charge those behind last Friday’s cow-head protest in Shah Alam.

POLICE have completed investigations into the cow head incident in Shah Alam last Friday and the papers have been passed to the Attorney-General’s Chambers in Putrajaya for the next course of action.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said it took police just five days to complete investigations.

Yesterday the investigating team was at the A-G’s Chamber in Putrajaya to discuss the case.

“We have wrapped up our investigations and the investigation papers are now in the hands of A-G for further action,” said Khalid.

 

AS storm clouds continue to gather around the “cow head” protest controversy, questions remain on one important aspect of the stomping parade — why had protesters used that particular animal's severed head?

 

With finger pointing still rampant, and a sedition charge ready for those police deem to be the perpetrators, we question the significance of the bovine head.

 

SO who was actually responsible for bringing a cow’s head to the Selangor State Secretariat building in last Friday’s protest?

 

Speculation is endless. Some say it was brought by members of Umno, keen to add more to the State government’s current turmoil.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad alleged that the men who brought the cow’s head were Umno members, claiming he “recognised their faces”.

PASIR Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali says the protest in Section 23, Shah Alam, should be viewed as “non-racial and non-partisan”.

Ibrahim, who is chairman of Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa), said his organisation had conducted its own investigation and found that the protest was carried out by supporters or members of three political parties — Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Pas and Umno.

“We found that they were not incited in anyway nor were they incited by any quarters. There were no party sentiments involved as far as we know,” he said.