Kuala Lumpur: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) has strongly condemned the attack on Dang Wangi Police Chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, describing it as a despicable act.
In a statement posted on Facebook today, the Prime Minister said that while the government respects the people's right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression - a principle consistently upheld under his administration - such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the boundaries of the law.
“The attack that caused injury to a public servant, the Dang Wangi Police Chief, by irresponsible and self-interested parties, is a despicable act and must be condemned.
“I have urged the authorities to launch an immediate investigation and to promptly arrest those responsible for the assault,” he said.
Sulizmie suffered a head injury, believed to have been caused by a rock thrown by an unidentified individual, while overseeing a court-ordered operation to cut electricity supply to several houses in Kampung Sungai Baru today.
The operation was part of the enforcement process related to the demolition of structures in the area.
It is learnt that police personnel on site had instructed residents gathered at the scene to disperse, but a number of them reportedly refused to comply and continued to provoke officers, leading to heightened tensions.
According to the Prime Minister, peaceful gatherings shouldn't be misused for narrow political interests that could lead to social unrest.
He added that incitement, hatred and disinformation-fuelled violence must not be allowed to take root in society.