College student, Ching Sze Wei, 21, of Bukit Hijau, Cheras yesterday lodged a police report at the Jalan Stadium police station, Kuala Lumpur that he was assaulted by Ho and other MCA members during a scuffle outside the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday at about 4.30 p.m. during a peaceful demonstration by members of political parties and NGOs against the MCA takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press and that he feared for his life during the incident.
Ching said that he and his friends, Loo Mei Kuan, 23, Wong Siew Hong, 20 and Chung Lee Peng, 23, had gone to the Wisma MCA to visit the International Chinese Book Exhibition, organised by Nanyang Siang Pau, and when he was leaving the exhibition, he saw both MCA and DAP members shouting at one another.
Curious to know what was happening, he and his friends stood behind the MCA members to watch.
In his police report, Ching said:
“When both the MCA and DAP members shouted at one another as ‘running dogs’, the four of us joined in and shouted ‘MCA running dogs’.“An MCA supporter came towards us and showed his middle finger at my friends and shouted: ‘If you want to shout, go to the other side.’
“I stood in front of my friends to defend them. I can ascertain that the person was Ipoh Barat MP Datuk Ho Cheong Sing.”
Ching said Ho caught hold of his shirt collar and pulled him.
“My neck was quite painful. I was afraid that my life was at stake.”
In the process of pushing Ho’s hand away, Ching was punched on his
nose by Ho and his spectacles fell down. (The Sun 1.6.2001).
There were many eye-witnesses to Ching’s assault by Ho and other MCA members, including reporters and photographers - and photographs of the assault were published by several newspapers.
What is most shocking is that Ho committed two further outrages:
Firstly, he not only tried to deny his assault of Ching, but tried to turn the table around and accused Ching of assaulting him, a totally false version which was given “exclusive coverage” by the MCA-owned Star yesterday, in reporting that a “youth” assaulted the MCA MP, “punched him in the face and kicked him, causing him to tumble down a flight of stairs” - giving the impression that Ching must be a kung-fu master worthy of the heroes of the kung-fu films!
All other non-MCA owned newspapers reported that the scuffle outside the MCA headquarters was triggered off by the gangsterish behaviour of the MCA MP who was abusive and waved obscene hand gestures as well as instigating his people to “beat up” the demonstrators.
Secondly, Ho even went to the Campbell police station to lodge a false report that he had been assaulted, when he was the one who had committed the assault.
The whole nation is watching as to how the police is handling this case of the MCA MP for Ipoh Barat committing the two criminal offences of assault and lodging a false police report.
I find it most outrageous that the Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Chor Chee Heung should have accompanied Ho to the Campbell police station to lodge the false police report. Why did the Deputy Home Minister connived in the lodging of a false police report, acting as an open accomplice in the commission of a crime? Was he trying to overawe the police by his position as Deputy Home Minister to ensure that they side with the MCA in the assault of Ching by Ho?
I call on Chor to publicly apologise for abusing his position as Deputy Home Minister in being openly exposed as an accomplice in the commission of a criminal offence by a MCA MP in lodging a false police report. In fact, the Prime Minister should ask for his resignation as Chor has proven unfit to hold the office of Deputy Home Minister.
The MCA-owned Star should also publicly apologise for publishing a false report on Wednesday claiming that Ho had been assaulted , “punched…kicked …causing him to tumble down a flight of stairs” which is not supported by evidence or eye-witnesses and a total figment of Ho’s imagination!
Yesterday, DAPSY social and cultural affairs secretary Lim Ching How and Selangor DAP organising secretary Wong Kok Yew lodged a police report against Ho for lodging a false police report, as they were witnesses to what transpired.
The police should act with efficiency and despatch to bring Ho to book for committing the two criminal offences.
(1/6/2001)