Permatang Pauh Umno chief: My remark about Penang Chinese misinterpreted

Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said has denied accusing the Chinese in Penang getting rich through illegal economic activities. 

"I was misquoted and misinterpreted by reports which had led my statement into a racial issue, said the Permatang Pauh Umno chief on Monday. 

"It was not a clear picture as what I had actually said in my speech. 

"In my speech, I said the weaknesses of the enforcement authorities have caused the kadang-kadang of some Chinese getting rich through illegal economic activities. 

"The word kadang-kadang means it's rarely or a minority, but it doesn't reflect all the Chinese.  
"But the word kadang-kadang was omitted from my speech in the report, and it is a bad practice to create racial disturbance within the country" Mohd Zaidi said at a press conference at the Pematang Pauh Umno office.

During his debate at the Umno general assembly on Friday, Mohd Zaidi was reported by an online news portal as saying that the Penang Chinese made money and gained political power from “being involved in illicit economic activities”.