It was a misunderstanding, says Kamalanathan's aide.

The teacher who had punched Education deputy minister II P.Kamalanathan may have acted based on wrong information, an aide told Astro AWANI. Kamalanathan’s special officer, Mohd Fauzi Manivannan Abdullah said before the incident took place, the teacher’s father, only known as Cikgu Suhaimi had met Kamalanathan at his office to discuss his daughter-in-law’s transfer from Johor to Selangor. Suhaimi who is the Umno Hulu Selangor committee member had told Kamalanathan that his daughter-in-law who is a teacher had applied for transfer several times but was unsuccessful. Fauzi said Suhaimi had told Kamalanathan that he was willing to even kiss his feet, as long as he helped in the transfer.

“When he heard that, Kamalanathan had stood up and told Suhaimi that he is like a father to him and it was not right for him to talk that way. He then told him that he will try to help,” said Fauzi. Fauzi said Kamalanathan even received a text message from Suhaimi 10 minutes later that he was sorry if his choice of words were wrong and again asked for his help in securing a transfer for his daughter-in-law. It was not clear what transpired after that as Kamalanathan was later assaulted by Suhaimi’s son at the Hulu Selangor Umno Youth meeting about two hours later. The son, Muhammad Rizuan Suhaimi or better known as Cikgu Eddie had punched Kamalanathan when waiting to shake hands with him and allegedly asked, “Why did you chase my father out of your room?”

Fauzi said Kamalanathan’s body guards were waiting at the ground floor and were unable to protect him when the incident took place at the first floor. A shocked Kamalanathan had then went to the nearest police station with Hulu Selangor Umno Youth members and lodged a report on the assault. They also followed Kamalanathan to the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital for treatment. Fauzi said as the deputy education minister, Kamalanthan had received many applications from teachers for transfers but stressed that it was not his call to decide on them. “Normally, it is the ministry’s secretary-general who will decide on transfer matters. Kamalanathan as the member of Parliament can only recommend,” he said. Fauzi said Suhaimi could have given the wrong information to his son which could have then provoked him to act in such a manner. Meanwhile, TheStarOnline reported that Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described the attack as a ‘shameful act’ and assured that action will be taken against the 31-year-old teacher.