KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 – The managing director of a new Tamil newspaper has been assaulted twice in the past month in what are believed to be attempts to intimidate him against launching the daily.
SM Periasamy told a press conference today that the attackers smashed his car’s windscreen with an iron rod in both incidents. In the first attack, the rod was used to hit his person as well, he added.
His lawyer daughter, Thavamalar, has also lodged a police report, claiming she had received a threatening phone call from an unknown person who told her to ensure that her father abandon his plan to publish the paper.
Periasamy said the paper, Tamil Malar, would hit the market on Aug 1.
He said the first attack happened on May 22 in Jalan Ipoh and the second last Monday as he was driving home to Segambut.
“A Proton Saga cut into my lane and blocked my car,” he said of Monday’s attack. “An Indian man got out and started smashing the windscreen of my car.
“Another car started hitting my car from the back. However, I managed to free my car and escape before anything else happened.
He believes that the attacks were the work of other players in the Tamil media industry.
Periasamy is well known in the industry. He began his career with Tamil Osai in 1988. From there, he moved to Malaysian Nanban before joining Makkal Osai in 2005. He was sacked from Makkal Osai last year after an internal management tussle.
– FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
