Gerakan Youth: Umno meet may cost us votes 
Malaysiakini.com
Nov 18, 2006
Beh Lih Yi

The negative sentiments among the non-Malay communities in the wake of the racist remarks made at the Umno annual assembly this year may be reflected in the coming general election.

“All this will affect the votes in the next polls. Other communities are not happy,” Gerakan Youth chief Mah Siew Keong cautioned today.

Asked on the response he obtained from the grassroots, he said that "they are very unhappy as the remarks made by some delegates were overboard and hurtful.”

Mah, who is also deputy agriculture and agro-based industries minister, said his reminder was for the good of the Barisan Nasional so its performance in the next polls will not be jeopardised.

Gerakan and 13 other parties contest under the same BN symbol during the general elections, sharing the same platform with Umno.

He was contacted by malaysiakini this afternoon to elaborate on a statement he issued today to express the multiracial-based party youth wing’s stand.

Against BN spirit

In his statement, Mah said although the Umno meet was over, some comments and racial statements made by its delegates had caused “anxiety, disappointments and negative reactions”.

“This may affect the voting pattern in the coming general election. Some of them have forgotten the concept of Bangsa Malaysia and Wawasan 2020,” he said.

Mah opined that some of these comments were “unreasonable, unfair and against the BN spirit”.

He expressed regret at certain Umno delegates who failed to heed Prime Minister and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s advice not to make offensive statement against other races.

Some of the delegates who made racial statements are elected representative who have forgotten that they were voted in by Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan and other races, he added.

On the other hand, Mah said the movement welcome the premier’s statement that Umno will be fair and just to all communities and pledged the movement’s full support for Abdullah.

“Gerakan Youth urges all parties to stop all racial statements or actions immediately which will jeopardise the political stability in the country and good relationships among all races built over the years.

“We should consolidate ourselves and intensify efforts to move up the value chains and competitiveness of the nation and all races instead of spending time on unproductive racial arguments or criticism,” he added.

Keng Yaik: Some were 'seditious'

Another ruling party, MCA Youth has expressed similar unhappy sentiments over the matter on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, according to Bernama, Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik also expressed his disappointment with the language and choice of words during the debate by some of the Umno delegates.

He argued that some of these comments could be considered "seditious" but did not give specific examples.

"You all have reported on it (the assembly), you know the ones I mean," he told reporters after chairing the Gerakan central committee meeting at the party's headquarters in Cheras today.

Lim also said the Umno assembly has left out discussion on "real issues" like the concept of Bangsa Malaysia, corruption and money politics.

On the same note, he said the Gerakan meeting today has agreed to draw up guidelines to ask its delegates to refrain from hitting out at other communities in their debates during the party assembly.

Copyright © 1999-2006 Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd