“Think about why, on the first day of Hari Raya, the people are willing to do that (hold a gathering). Don’t just think about arresting them,” Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi said in a statement today.

He was commenting on a viral video of a gathering in Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor, which saw a group of people lighting flares and hanging up a banner with the words “kerajaan gagal” (failed government) on it.

A total of 20 people have been arrested over the gathering so far. Police believe some 40 people were involved in the incident.

According to Puad, those in Parit Raja were not the only ones who were unhappy with the PN government.

“There are people celebrating Hari Raya on the highways and displaying banners that say “kerajaan gagal”. Hopefully, the eighth prime minister (Muhyiddin Yassin) will come back down to earth.”

He also denied any links to the gathering, clarifying that Parit Raja was under the parliamentary constituency of Sri Gading and not Batu Pahat.

On why he was being blamed he said: “First, perhaps it is because I am the Batu Pahat Umno chief. Second, I have consistently said the eighth prime minister’s government is a failed one.”

Following Puad’s response to the gathering, Bersatu supreme council member Muhammad Faiz Na’aman questioned if Puad “supported anarchy”.

Labelling the protestors as a group of “mat rempits who breached the movement control order”, Faiz asked if other Umno leaders also support this kind of anti-government criticism.

He added that supporting the protestors meant going against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s advice for people to celebrate Hari Raya at home.

“Umno should take disciplinary action against ‘political animals’ causing trouble during the emergency, which was proclaimed by the King,” he said.