KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Several DAP leaders today lodged a police report against Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail for calling the Chinese immigrants, which the MCA’s Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn described as seditious.
Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San lodged a report against Ahmad in Petaling Jaya while Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik made the complaint in Georgetown.
“I hope appropriate action will be taken against him to quell the anger of the people,” said Lau, who was accompanied by Selangor state exco member Ronnie Liu and PJ Utara MP Tony Pua.
“The DAP wants Umno leaders to take stern action against him; moreover, the police should also investigate him under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948,” said Ng, who lodged a report at the Patani Road police station in Penang with Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N Rayer.
“DAP divisions in Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Malacca have been told to lodge police reports against Ahmad, whose statement is liable to cause disharmony in a united society,” Ng added.
Meanwhile, Fong said the matter of citizenship for non-Malays should not be questioned, just as some religious issues should not be called into dispute.
“An apology from Ahmad is not enough. A sedition charge should be considered against him,” he told reporters in Putrajaya.
He added that it was not enough for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to tell Ahmad not to repeat the remark.
On Saturday, the Umno president said he would tell Ahmad not to repeat his remark, adding that did not think Ahmad meant what he said.
"He uttered these remarks during a ceramah in front of the Deputy Prime Minister. I will bring this matter up at the next MCA central committee meeting," said Fong, the Alor Gajah MP, adding that MCA grassroots are offended by the remark.
The DAP’s Charles Santiago described Abdullah’s refusal to take stern action against Ahmad as a sign of his weakened position in the party.
“Abdullah is not able to severely reprimand Ahmad as he fears a further backlash from party members during the upcoming Umno division elections. The premier wants to keep his job at whatever cost and at the expense of further alienating the people,” said Santiago in a statement.
He added that the ruling coalition and Abdullah have not learnt from the lessons of March 8 and the Permatang Pauh by-election where the people rejected race-based politics.
“If Abdullah is sincere about promoting racial unity in the country he must take strict disciplinary action against Ahmad. Whether or not Abdullah is able to do that would candidly reflect the premier's commitment, if any, to nation building and being the Prime Minister of all Malaysians,” said the Klang MP.
Abdullah’s stand on the issue, added Santiago, also contradicts the premier’s National Day message where he urged Malaysians to maintain racial unity.
PKR’s Amirudin Shari said that Abdullah’s failure to reprimand Ahmad proves that the Barisan Nasional’s divide-and-rule formula no longer works.
“They should stop saying different things to different groups. Such a practice will only breed extremism,” said the Batu Caves assemblyman.
He also urged the police to investigate Ahmad as reports have been lodged. “I hope the police will be fair in their investigation, and if there is a case, Ahmad should be charged,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
The BN candidate in the Permatang Pauh by-election, Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah, refused to directly comment on Ahmad’s alleged statement, leaving it to national Umno leaders to decide on Ahmad, but stressed that the loyalty of Malaysian citizens should not be questioned.
“We have been independent for 51 years and it is very important for us to respect each other as Malaysian citizens. That should not be questioned,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
He added that his campaign had refrained from manipulating racial issues. “I did not hear what he said, maybe his remark was misinterpreted. But let it be investigated,” he said on the police reports lodged against Ahmad.
On whether he would be meeting Ahmad to get clarification, he said there was no need for him to do so.
“I am just a grassroots leader. Let the national leaders handle this issue,” said Arif Shah.
Ahmad could not be reached for comment.
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