[Photo: A man claiming to be a "representative" tells all to keep calm through a loudhailer.]

AN ACCIDENTAL brushing of shoulders between two students escalated and nearly turned into a riot when a mob of some 1,000 people stormed to a police station in Johor two nights ago.

Even the Federal Reserve Unit, or the anti-riot police, had to be called in to control the situation at the Pekan Nanas police station, reported liberal news portal Malaysiakini.

The 7.30pm incident also brought traffic to a standstill in the area.

Johor CID chief Amer Awal said the problem started in SMK Pekan Nanas where a Form One student was slapped by a 17-year-old Form Five student after an accidental brushing of shoulders.

Form One to Five is similar to secondary-level education here.

The Form One student is reportedly the grandson of a well-known leader of local political party Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).

Following this, his father took three friends to the school to settle the dispute but was stopped by a teacher, who is believed to be the father of the other student.

A fight apparently broke out between the two, and the teacher later lodged a police report claiming that he sustained injuries to his face, chest and back.

The police then arrested the father of the Form One student when he was making a police report at the Pekan Nanas police station.

When news of the incident broke out, the teacher's friends and relatives began to gather at the police station.

A scuffle erupted between the angry crowd and the police when the father of the Form One student was being transferred to the Pontian district police headquarters in a van.

The crowd had tried to stop the van from leaving, with some throwing objects at the vehicle, resulting in one of the windows being smashed.

The police are investigating the slapping incident under Section 323 of the Penal Code while the father, who has been remanded for three days, is being investigated for trespassing and causing offence in a group.

Parents detained

Chief Amer said police had also arrested the parents of other students who were suspected of trespassing. He added that police have also applied to extend the detention order for the parents, who will now be detained until tomorrow.

Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wee Jeck Seng, Pekan Nanas assemblyman Tang Nai Soon and Kukup assemblyman Md Othman Yusof also rushed to the scene to calm the situation.

Following the incident, SMS messages were circulated among Pekan Nanas residents warning them not to leave their house in case there is further trouble. But as of yesterday, classes at the school had resumed.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

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