Kit Siang: Prosecute Umno for sedition
Malaysiakini.com
Nov 21, 2006
Soon Li Tsin

The Attorney-General should charge Umno delegates with making seditious remarks during the party general assembly and threatening Malaysians with the spectre of the May 13 racial riots. 

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang told reporters that it was not sufficient for Umno deputy president Najib Abdul Razak to concede that some delegates had gone overboard, while later defending them as being “inexperienced”.

“Najib has said that these inexperienced speakers got carried away by the occasion ... is he suggesting that it’s all right if the insensitive, extremist, incendiary and seditious speeches were made behind closed doors instead?” asked Lim.

He refuted Najib’s explanation by listing ‘seasoned’ Umno politicians who had made racist statements during the assembly.

- Malacca delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein, who said “Umno is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion”;

- Umno Youth exco member Azimi Daim (photo), who said “when tension rises, the blood of the Malay warriors will run in our veins”;

- Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh, who said “(Umno Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein) unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask when he is going to use it”; and

- Terengganu Umno Youth information chief Razak Idris, who warned that “Malay rights cannot be challenged, otherwise the Malays will run amok and May 13 will happen all over again in Kuala Lumpur”.

Lim pointed out that the May 13 riots have become a convenient horse to flog among many Umno members.

“Over the past eight general elections since 1969, the May 13 spectre has been raised to frighten non-Malays ... (against voting) according to their choice and conscience. Now it is being raised not once every four years, but once every two years.”

Lim gave the example of Deputy Umno Speaker Badruddin Amiruldin who had waved a book on the racial riots during the 2004 Umno general assembly, in clear warning that questioning Malay privileges would be akin to stirring a hornet’s nest.

Badruddin, the Jerai MP, was the cause of chaos in Parliament yesterday with his outburst that “this is our country” (ini negara kami).

The 57th Umno general assembly last week was telecast ‘live’ on Astro’s Channel 94 for the first time.

Najib has since said the party would reconsider whether the proceedings would be telecast ‘live’ next year, after criticism that many of the speeches were offensive to other Malaysians. 

Motion rejected

Meanwhile the speaker also rejected Lim's motion to discuss on the racist statements made in the Umno general assembly.

"I must be satisfied on three conditions - the issue must be specific, it must be of public interest and it must be urgent."

"It is specific and of public interest. However, it is not urgent," the speaker said.    

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