“I don’t see anything wrong in allowing Ahmad to come back and serve the party.
“Even Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng have served jail sentences before returning to contest and being elected as member of parliament and chief minister respectively.
“Ahmad has been penalised and the party felt that his suspension should be lifted.”
Penang Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim welcoming former Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail back from his suspension.
Ahmad was suspended by the Umno supreme council for three years in September 2008 in relation to incendiary remarks he had made. On 23 Aug 2008, Ahmad had reportedly referred to Chinese Malaysians as pendatang prior to the Permatang Pauh by-election. (Source: Ex-Bukit Bendera Umno chief’s suspension lifted, New Straits Times, 10 Dec 2009)
“Lim Guan Eng was a prisoner of conscience who should never have been imprisoned in the first place. He was held simply for expressing his opinion and fulfilling his duties as a parliamentarian.”
Amnesty International‘s statement upon the release of Lim Guan Eng after serving two-thirds of his 18-month sentence. Lim was jailed under the Sedition Act 1948 after criticising the government for not charging former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik with statutory rape. The 15-year-old girl who had stated that Rahim had had sex with her was taken into “protective custody” by the police and later detained. (Source: Malaysia: Lim Guan Eng released but his civil rights remain curtailed, Amnesty International, 25 Aug 1999)
“Recalling that there had been widespread public criticism of the Attorney General’s handling of this case including from the Prime Minister’s daughter herself who had called his attitude a ‘gross mockery of justice’ and that, however, only Mr. Lim was prosecuted, the Committee [on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians] inferred that his prosecution and sentencing were prompted by other than judicial considerations.”
Written statement submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a non-governmental organisation committed to defending and promoting the institution of parliament internationally. (Source: Written statement submitted by IPU, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 6 April 1998)
“Anwar Ibrahim was arrested in September 1998 and held on charges of ‘abuse of power’ and ‘sodomy’. Following two separate trials, which failed to meet international standards of fairness, Anwar Ibrahim was found guilty and sentenced to prison terms of six and nine years respectively.”
“The arrest and prosecution of Anwar Ibrahim exposed a pattern of political manipulation of key state institutions including the police, public prosecutor’s office and the judiciary. Amnesty International believes the charges brought against Anwar Ibrahim were politically motivated — a pretext to discredit him and remove him from public life.”
Amnesty International‘s statement upon now Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s release from prison in 2004 after his appeal on his sodomy conviction was allowed by the Federal Court. (Source: Anwar Ibrahim: The Campaign For The Release Of A Prisoner Of Conscience, Amnesty International, 2004)
“But later he raised his voice louder and louder, and suddenly I heard this: ‘Orang Cina cuma tumpang di sini sahaja.'”
Guang Ming Daily reporter Li Weihua recounting Ahmad’s controversial remarks made on 23 Aug 2008 and how shocked he was to hear Ahmad speak in this manner. (Source: Reporters: He said it, Mysinchew.com, 6 Sept 2008)
“We will apologise. Umno apologises.”
“It (the comment) was totally unwarranted and doesn’t reflect the position and attitude of Umno or the leadership of Umno. We regret it very much.”
Then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak apologising for Ahmad’s remarks. Leaders of other parties such as MCA, Gerakan and DAP called for Ahmad to make a personal apology. (Source: Najib: Umno apologises, The Star, 3 Sept 2008)
“Nothing serious happened.”
Ahmad, commenting on his supporters tearing up then Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon‘s picture after a press conference in Penang where Ahmad tried to justify his statements. When a journalist pressed Ahmad to answer a question, Ahmad’s supporters reportedly shouted “sudahlah” and “bunuh dia”. (Source: Ahmad Ismail blames Koh for tensions, The Malaysian Insider, 8 Sept 2008)
“No way, I made no mistakes. Saya tak bersalah, apa sal nak minta maaf? Saya tidak akan minta maaf.”
Ahmad responding to a question on whether he would retract his statements at his 11 Sept 2008 press conference following his suspension by Umno. (Source: Ahmad: I made no mistakes, TheStarOnline.tv, 11 Sept 2008)
“Even if they apologise, I will still have to consider whether to accept it or not.”
Ahmad now saying it’s Gerakan leaders who should apologise to him before they can work together in Bukit Bendera. He claimed that several Gerakan leaders, including Gerakan president Koh, were responsible for a breakdown in the relationship with his division and Penang Umno at the height of the controversy. (Source: Unrepentant Ahmad wants Gerakan trio to apologise, Malaysiakini, 9 Dec 2009) 
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teh ewe leng says
Gerakan, heheheheh!
nadia says
“The 15-year-old girl who had stated that Rahim had had sex with her was taken into ‘protective custody’ by the police and later detained.”
Shocking! I was in primary school back then. Thank God for TNG, or else I wouldn’t know.
Tan says
If this recalcitrant was none other than an Umno member, perhaps he will be jailed under ISA. How do you expect the leopard to change its spots? BN introduces the BTN course to groom more people like him to protect their self-interest. Unfortunately, they were caught off-guard by the wind of change in GE12. As such, no matter what slogan or reform they intend to do including 1Malaysia, the result will remain the same because it only changes in form and not substance.
seriati says
Nadia and others:
It was not only that. When it was alleged that she had sex with some youth, a senior minister (in charge of religion) actually suggested that the poor girl be charged.
Things were as disgusting then as they are now.
Lainie says
Watching the videos of Ahmad Ismail smugly refusing to apologise and bragging about his comeback makes me ill.
YC says
So Rahim had walked away from this case with no charge at all? Why was the girl charged when she was a victim?
Ding Jo-Ann says
@YC
Rahim was initially charged, however the charges were withdrawn due to “insufficient evidence”. The 15-year-old girl was not charged. She was placed in protective custody under a court order.
Andrew I says
Erm, you forgot to mention that the girl recanted her story and was duly disowned by her grandmother. That was front page news, if I remember correctly. If I were Guan Eng, my jaw would have hit the floor.
ahoo says
Interestingly, racists in Malaysia are usually from the elite group, i.e. those ill-mannered politicians! This inferior group [hides] behind the powers-that-be and are not in the league of Malaysians who love this country. They rob, steal and plunder without any real conscience. And even have the guts to call others “pendatang” when many of them are just second or third generation migrants.
Well, we who are able to be at peace with ourselves, look to this nation not asking what we can get out of it but rather what we can give her in return. Looking forward to GE13 and hopefully the voters can restore her back to her former glory as a rich nation in Asia.