12 held for fracas at Penang state assembly

GEORGE TOWN: Police have detained 12 people who were involved in breaking through the automatic gates and storming into the hall of the state legislative assembly building in Lebuh Light today.
Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said those detained were aged between 32 and 55.
"We are still investigating the incident," he told a press conference at the Northeast district police headquarters today.
Following the incidet, Mior said the state assembly security guard had lodged a police report at around 4.30pm.
In the 2.15pm incident, 10 out of 60 protesters managed to break through the automatic gates and stormed the hall.
While inside, they shouted for Seri Delima assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer, who was not present, to apologise for the anti-Umno remarks he allegedly made in the House on Tuesday.
Rayer was alleged to have uttered the words "Umno celaka" (Umno be damned) during the assembly sitting.
The session was in recess when the protesters entered the building and they were later escorted out by the House's protocol unit after about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, protesters outside lined up a row of eggs with derogatory remarks written on the shells.
A spokesman for the group, Penang Umno Youth deputy chief Jasmin Noordin, called on Rayer to retract his remarks.
He challenged Rayer to repeat what he said outside the hall and cast aspersions on his bravery to do so.
The protesters dispersed about 4.10pm after state opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid and Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad assured them they will be handling the issue.
When the afternoon session reconvened, Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow (DAP-Padang Kota) moved a motion to condemn what had happened.
He said the House has never been intruded like this and described the breach as an assault on the sovereignty of the state and the country, noting that the Malaysian and Penang flags were damaged.
When the motion came up for a vote, the Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen, who are all from Umno, abstained from voting while the 35 assemblymen from DAP, PAS and PKR all voted for the motion to be passed.
Mior added Rayer had lodged a report at the Jelutong police station around 6pm that the protesters had threatened to come to his house to look for him if he did not apologise.