Umno has suspended Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail from the party for three years over his alleged racist comments.
He has been stripped of his division chief post and all its rights as a member. Thus, he cannot vote in the coming party elections, cannot contest for posts and will not be able to attend the Umno general assembly during the three-year period.
The suspension is effective immediately.
Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Abullah Ahmad Badawi announced the decision Wednesday after a special supreme council meeting convened specifically to discuss Ahmad’s case.
The action was taken in accordance with Section 20(9) of the party constitution.
“Many Umno supreme council members gave their views and we are of the opinion that Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s comments and actions have caused worry, protest and anger among Barisan Nasional,” he said.
During the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign, Ahmad caused a furore when he allegedly said the Chinese in the country were immigrants and squatters and thus did not deserve equal rights.
He refused to apologise or retract his statement. After a press conference on Monday, Ahmad’s supporters went to the extent of tearing up a poster of Gerakan acting president and Penang state Barisan chairman Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
This led to Penang Gerakan and Penang MCA severing ties with Penang Umno, and for Barisan Nasional to convene a supreme council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Barisan component parties said they were unhappy with Ahmad’s comments and asked that Umno take “immediate and stern action” against him, which led to the special Umno supreme council meeting being convened.
When announcing the decision to suspend Ahmad, Abdullah -- also the Barisan chairman -- said the Umno supreme council also wanted other component parties to act sternly and take disciplinary action against their own members if they committed a similar offence.
“All components parties must be firm. If any of their members make comments which whip up racial sentiment and cause anger among the races, and which could jeopardise ties between Barisan component parties, they must take disciplinary action,” he said.
To a question, Abdullah said Ahmad had the right to appeal the supreme council decision.
Later, Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the decision to suspend Ahmad unanimous.
After stopping 10 busloads of his supporters on their way to the Putra World Trade Centre where the supreme council meeting was being held, Ahmad said he would not retract his statements, but urged his supporters and all Malays to remain calm.
At a press conference, he said he accepted Umno supreme council’s decision to suspend him, but added he would “make a comeback.”
He accused Gerakan’s Dr Koh of “raising temperatures” on the issue of race relations.
Dr Koh was one of the many leaders who had asked Ahmad to apologise to the Chinese community.
He also denied that he had torn down a picture of Dr Koh at a press conference on Monday.
Abdullah also said that the Cabinet at its meeting Wednesday had discussed racial relations in the country.
“The Cabinet feels that racial tension may arise if sensitive issues are raised. The Cabinet has ordered ministries with laws pertaining to this to enforce them.
“If it is necessary, the ISA may be used on those who stoke racial tension,” he added.
Insufficient punishment
In GEORGE TOWN, Penang Chinese leaders said the three-year suspension was too light a sentence for the defiant Ahmad, who had refused to apologise for his remarks even after being advised to so by the Prime Minister himself.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Ahmad should be expelled from Umno, not merely suspended.
“If he had apologised, it would be different,” he said.
He also said Umno should disassociate itself from a person who made such racist remarks and refused to apologise for them.
“What the people think is more important here. This is not just about what he (Ahmad) had said,” said Lim.
He said the issue had made the Chinese people feel rejected and threats had even been hurled at the journalist who first reported on the issue.
“This is unacceptable. In fact, action should also be taken against Penang Umno and all the local Umno leaders who support Ahmad and his stand,” he said.
State MCA deputy chairman Lau Chiek Tuan said Penang MCA was unhappy with the three-year suspension.
“He is only suspended from his party. But he still owes the Chinese people an apology. The suspension has nothing to do with the apology.”
Others satisfied
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the party welcomed the suspension, adding that this showed that Umno had honoured the collective decision made by the Barisan Supreme Council on Tuesday that stern action should be taken.
“Today, Umno’s decision showed that Umno has drawn a clear line (away) from the racist remark, which had hurt the feeling of the Chinese community,” he said.
He said this incident should serve as a lesson to all politicians.
“Let us move on and continue to work hard for better economy growth and to ensure the stability of the country,” he said.
Ong said he wished to see Barisan continue to reform and re-engineer itself in order to regain the people’s confidence.
Gerakan’s Dr Koh also saw the move as “a step in the right direction.”
“We hope this will serve as deterrent against similarly irresponsible and insensitive actions,” he said in a statement.
Dr Koh said it is incumbent that the police take the necessary action in accordance with the relevant legal provisions and procedures as several police reports had been lodged against Ahmad.
“In the meantime, Barisan Nasional should proceed with the Code of Conduct as proposed by me and announced by Barisan chairman Abdullah on Tuesday,” Koh said.
“We should also redouble our efforts in promoting greater understanding, harmony and unity amongst Malaysians from all ethnic and social backgrounds,” he said.
MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said Umno’s decision sent a very strong signal to all parties that everyone must be sensitive and take care of the feelings of other races.
“We are happy to know that Umno has followed the Barisan’s decision to take action against Ahmad and it is only through the Barisan we can solve the problems of a multiracial society.
“This development also means that the Barisan spirit is going very strong and that taking care of all races is still of the utmost importance for the coalition,” he said.
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