Thursday, September 11, 2008

Umno suspends Ahmad three years

KUALA LUMPUR: 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.

tunku : at last umno has decided and took action against ahmad and hope that he will think before he speaks in future.we hope after this no one will raise the issue again as he is punished.comments from lim guan eng is understandable , what you expect from an opposition party.umno has done their part and other component party in bn too should do their part in future.by the way, did gerakan punish paranjothy last year when he accused umno?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hukuman sudah dijatuhkan. Bagi yang lain2 yang tak habis2 lagi tak puas hati dan membakar semangat kemarahan tu, cukup2lah.. Semua tu tak membantu, hanya memburukkan lagi keadaan saja.

Anonymous said...

Whether Ahmad apologise or not will make no difference because the Chinese especially Gerakan and DAP will never be satisfied.
They will continue to harp on the issue to attack and as usual will potray UMNO as a rascist party as though they are not.
This is where the Chinese are smarter than the Malays.Look at DAP,Gerakan and MCA and see how they unite to paralyse UMNO.
When they made statements that hurt Malay feelings, how do Malays response? Split as usual!
We have to accept that Malay unity is the only defence against these parties who are hiding behind their so called multi-racial philosophy.
Wake up Malay leaders don't make us end up like South Thailand,South Phillipines and of course Singapore.
Suggest we emulate the Jews when defending our rights.
Last but not least do not make our rights a political bargain.

Anonymous said...

Memang betul dah, orang Melayu mudah lupa!
Baru lagi isu azan yg dipersendakan dan Hindraf,dah lupa!
Orang Melayu sangat baik 'forgive and forget'
Orang lain sangat pandai 'never forgive never forget'
Nasib....nasib!

Anonymous said...

syabas Pak Lah kerana mengambil tindakan ini. Memang Ahmad tu perlu ajar sedikit.

Anonymous said...

muhyiddin dah makin berani sekarang nampak nya. Mentang-mentang Tun dah masuk UMNO balik.
Senang-senang saja orang turun.

Anonymous said...

at last this issue had come it's finale.Ahmad had received and is undergoing on his "reward".

it's understandable for Lim Guan Eng to view his opinion but why not just let bygone be bygone.let's clear the path and move on.we dont need anymore confrontation.