KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 – Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Edmund Santhara Kumar has denied that there was a spat between him and Batu Member of Parliament P. Prabakaran on Monday.
The Segamat Member of Parliament said he was in a closed door meeting with several government agencies at the control centre near the Selayang Wholesale Market to discuss the implementation of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in the area when Prabakaran arrived to see him.
Edmund says that Prabakaran met with him with the aim of asking why Selayang and Taman Seri Murni were being placed under the EMCO. It was understood that Prabakaran went to Taman Seri Murni prior to arriving at the meeting.
Only told Prabakaran to wait until meeting is over
Edmund added that Prabakaran was stopped by a National Security Council (NSC) officer from entering the ongoing meeting, and was told to wait for the discussion to conclude.
“He then approached me in the meeting room, but I told him to wait for me outside until the meeting is concluded.
“I asked him, can you please wait outside? Let me conclude my waiting.
“Was that even a spat? I don’t think so. It was never my intention and I believe that he misunderstood what I meant,” he said.
Prabakaran alleged to have raised his voice at police chief
Edmund also alleges that Prabakaran had raised his voice at Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim, who was in the meeting room at the time.
He added that Prabakaran’s Facebook live video relating the alleged incident was an irresponsible act.
Edmund, who said this in a press conference at the City Hall Enforcement Department here, said he has yet to lodge a police report against the young lawmaker and will not do so, as he sees the 24-year-old MP as his “younger brother”.
He also views the matter as nothing more than a misunderstanding between the two lawmakers.
“This is not the time to politicise the situation. We should come together as one to fight and break this Covid-19 chain. I don’t want to make the situation worse.
“When the Dewan Rakyat sitting comes, that is the time when we the politicians can debate on political matters,” he added.
Prabakaran taken to police HQ for questioning
According to NST, Prabakaran claimed he was visiting the operations centre in the area when he was stopped by a policeman from entering. This, he claimed, was because Edmund was chairing a meeting inside the ‘war room.’
“I waited for them to finish. When the policemen eventually said I could enter the room, I went in to convey what the residents’ immediate needs were.
“He (the minister) screamed at me in front of other officials, saying I had breached the MCO (Movement Control Order) laws and questioned what I was doing there.
Prabakaran said he was shocked as he only wanted to help his constituents in the area.
He said he then left the room and did a Facebook Live video to relate what had transpired.
He claimed that halfway through his video, two policemen on motorcycles arrived and called him back to the operations centre, saying it was on the instructions of the deputy minister.
Prabakaran said he did not want to return to the centre following the exchange with Edmund. One of the policemen then told him to follow him to the Sentul police station for questioning.
According to a report by Malaysiakini, Edmund’s private secretary R. Dineshwaran denied that the deputy minister was rude towards Prabakaran and rejected claims that there was an argument.
The report quoted Dineshwaran as saying that Prabakaran had entered the room when Santhara was chairing a meeting with the police and health authorities on matters related to the MCO.
“YB (Santhara) had told him politely to wait until the meeting ended to discuss whatever matters he has.
“He lied,” Dineshwaran was quoted as saying in reference to Prabakaran’s account of the events.
Prabakaran was released on police bail around 10pm that night.
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