KUALA LUMPUR, 25 March 2009: An Umno Youth delegate wants the party to lift the suspension of former Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail who was penalised for making racist remarks.
Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said, a delegate from Permatang Pauh, said this during the debate session of the Youth wing’s general assembly today.
Mohd Zaidi said Ahmad was only defending the Malays’ special position and should not be penalised.
“If Umno cannot defend Ketuanan Melayu, then who will?” he said. The debates are broadcast via closed-circuit television throughout the Putra World Trade Centre where the party general assembly is being held.
Mohd Zaidi said Umno in Penang had to appease the feelings of the other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties since Ahmad’s public remarks about Chinese Malaysians being immigrants in the country.
“We call on the party to retract his suspension. We have been forced to ‘jaga hati’ the other component parties and follow whatever they ask for,” Mohd Zaidi said.
Ahmad’s party membership was suspended for three years in September last year by the Umno supreme council. He was also stripped of his post as division chief after he refused to retract his offensive “pendatang” remarks which he made while campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election in August last year.
This is not the first time an appeal is being made on behalf of Ahmad. The Bukit Bendera Umno division had previously also appealed to the supreme council to lift the suspension.
Malays being insulted
Mohd Zaidi also said Malays wanted Umno to continue defending their special position. He said Malays were being insulted but nothing was done about it, citing recent events such as DAP chairperson Karpal Singh’s use of the word “celaka” on Umno Youth, and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang calling Umno “power crazy” today.
Mohd Zaid also said it was becoming clear that the Penang DAP government was ignoring Malay Malaysians. He said Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin resigned because he had failed to care for Malay Malaysians.
“Fairus should now resign as assemblyperson for Penanti,” Mohd Zaid added.
Mohd Zaid’s speech was by far the most fiery today.
Even outgoing Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s speech to the wing this morning was rather measured. Hishammuddin’s speech focused more on painting Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as a traitor to Malay Malaysians rather than criticising BN component parties. 
