MCA Youth to let members decide on Khairy
Malaysiakini
Oct  4, 2006
Beh Lih Yi

The MCA Youth will let its members decide on the next course of action over the racial remarks made by Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

The movement’s chief Liow Tiong Lai said the youth wing will convey Khairy’s explanation to the grassroots as was agreed at the Barisan Nasional Youth council meeting yesterday. 

“We will explain whatever Khairy explained to us in the meeting, that his speech had been taken out of context and he never meant it (to hurt other community) at all,” Liow told malaysiakini.

After that, he said, it was up to the members to decide whether to accept the explanation or not.

“If our members are dissatisfied, they can still raise the issue,” he said, adding that he will then bring up the matter to the BN Youth council meeting again.

“Like (BN Youth and Umno Youth chief) Hishammuddin Hussein said, a meeting can’t solve the problem. We will have to bring it up again if our members are not happy with the explanation,” he said.

Time will tell

Liow, who is also the deputy youth and sports minister, said that only “time will tell” if Khairy was sincere in stating he had no intention to hurt the feelings of other races.

In August, Khairy - who is Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s son-in-law - had told an Umno Youth meeting that the Chinese Malaysian community would take advantage of any Umno infighting to make demands to advance their interests.

His statements had elicited strong criticisms from MCA and Gerakan leaders, both of which are Chinese-based parties within the ruling coalition. MCA leaders also demanded Khairy to tender an apology.

Khairy however did not apologise during the three-and-a-half hours BN Youth council meeting yesterday but reiterated his stand that his remarks had been taken out of context by the media.

While all the coalition youth leaders collectively agreed yesterday to work together and put the issue behind them, there were still signs of dissatisfaction among the Chinese-based parties, especially the MCA and Gerakan.

The MCA and Gerakan Youth leaders were both reluctant to comment if they were satisfied with Khairy’s explanation.

However Liow was reported as saying he was “very dissatisfied with the development of the (Khairy) issue thus far”, although he accepted the way BN Youth handled the matter.

Apart from claiming Chinese Malaysians will take advantage of a weak Umno, Khairy has also made other racial remarks lately.

These included his complaints that the Bumiputeras have not reached the 30 percent equity ownership and the community is still lagging behind in many economic opportunities.

Asked whether this is considered insensitive for the MCA Youth, Liow replied: “Khairy must qualify himself. He cannot say something at the expense of other community.”

Be more sensitive

Gerakan Youth is however willing to forget the issue and move on.

Its youth deputy chief Lim Si Pin said his wing will explain Khairy’s side of the story to its grassroots.

“Gerakan Youth accepts his explanation but we want to see his future actions. Action speaks louder than words,” Lim said when contacted today.

“Whatever we have said, let’s put it behind us but we would like to see more sensitive leaders in future. From now on, we will observing each other speeches, we have to be sensitive.”

He said the reality of Malaysian politics is the major ruling parties are all race-based and they are entitled to their rights to defend respective communities but it should be done via a tactful way.

“Hisham and the rest had advised Khairy (in yesterday’s meeting) that there are many ways to say many things, but he should be more sensitive towards other races.”