Small protest outside Umno hq

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 - Fifteen protestors armed with seven banners lined up at the entrance of the Umno headquarters here in Menara Dato' Onn at 2pm to call for the Umno supreme council not to take action against Datuk Ahmad Ismail.

They chanted "Hidup Melayu! (Long Live The Malays!)" when certain leaders like Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak arrived for the supreme council meeting where Abdullah said "stern action" would be decided on.

Although the group initially did not want to reveal their names or which bodies they were representing, a spokesperson, Rahim Harun from KL, finally told reporters that they were here to support the statement by Ahmad that he was speaking the truth of the circumstance before Merdeka.

"We call on the supreme council not to apologise to the Chinese and Indians and not to expel Ahmad from Umno. we have already given in so much to the Chinese and Indians," he said, insisting that he was not an Umno member and the group was not from any organisation.

Their banners read "MT pertahankan maruah Datuk Ahmad Ismail (Supreme Council defend the honour of Datuk Ahmad Ismail)", "MT teruskan perjuangan Datuk Ahmad Ismail (SC continue Datuk Ahmad Ismail's fight" and "Teresa Kok celupar, biadap, kurang ajar! Umno jangan takut!" (Teresa Kok is rude and disrespectful! Do not fear, Umno!)" in reference to allegations that the DAP MP and Selangor exco asked for the azan (call to prayer) to cease in an area in Puchong.

She has however, denied that she has made any such call although it is true that the residents did faxed her a petition.

The group of 15 men left at 2.40pm after Abdullah and Najib had made their way into the building.