Wanita Gerakan urges PM to sack Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR: Wanita Gerakan has urged Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to sack Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail from the party immediately.
The party wing also asked for Ahmad to be charged under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for playing up racial sentiments and threatening national security, said chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe.
She condemned the action of Ahmad's supporters who tore up the photo of Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, saying it brought shame to Ahmad and the Barisan Nasional.
"It is rude for not respecting Barisan leaders. We regret his action and we are very upset with his irresponsible, shameful and overboard action," she said.
On Monday, Penang Gerakan announced it was severing all ties with the state Umno after the latest attack against Dr Koh by Bukit Bendera Umno.
On the same day, Ahmad said Gerakan should leave the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition because it has only created chaos among the component parties.
The Prime Minister and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will meet Ahmad Ismail on Tuesday to decide his fate.
“He will be asked to explain himself, after which we will decide what action will be taken against him,” Abdullah said on Monday.
“I’m very unhappy with what has happened and will take a firm stand on the issue,” he told reporters.
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Tuesday September 9, 2008
Get out of BN, Bukit Bendera Umno head tells Gerakan
GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan should leave the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition because it has only created chaos among the component parties, Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail said.
Making the call during a press conference at Menara Umno yesterday, Ahmad said Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon should also be stripped of his post as the state Barisan chairman and the post should be given to the MCA.
He said this was because a few Chinese leaders from the Gerakan party including Dr Koh had deliberately taken advantage of the situation and turned it into a racial issue “to hide their own weaknesses”.
He said Dr Koh’s leadership had also resulted in the state Barisan failing miserably in the March 8 general election.
“He is a leader who is really good at tai chi but I would also like to remind everyone not to forget that the Malays are equally good at silat,” he said.
The press conference was called by leaders and representatives of the 13 Umno divisions here led by state Umno liaison committee deputy chairman Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah and secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim.
Ahmad said Dr Koh should apologise not only to the Malays and Muslims but also to the Chinese in the country for creating so much tension.
“I want Koh and Gerakan to be responsible in case any untoward incidence takes place in our country.
“I hope we will not be pushed against the wall, ” he said, as supporters thumped tables and shouted “Hidup Melayu”.
Ahmad also said that Dr Koh’s claim that their relationship soured after he (Ahmad) was not re-appointed as a Penang Municipal Councillor in 2006 was untrue and was “another tactic of his to character assassinate me”.
He reiterated that he would not apologise for his remark at a ceramah during the Permatang Pauh by-election on Aug 23, and was prepared to face the consequences.
Ahmad said that he was happy that the Prime Minister was satisfied with his explanation after the latter chaired the state Umno liaison committee meeting on Sept 6.
He urged all quarters including Gerakan to stop issuing statements making demands on Barisan and Umno over the issue.
At the end of the 40-minute press conference, several supporters brought down from the wall a poster of Dr Koh and tore it to pieces.
When contacted later, Ahmad denied any role in the incident.
“There were no such instructions. The other division heads and I were in the hall,” he said, adding that the supporters who brought down the picture were not from the Bukit Bendera division.
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Penang Gerakan cuts ties with state Umno
GEORGE TOWN: Penang Gerakan has severed all ties with the state Umno after the latest attack against its acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon by Bukit Bendera Umno.
“We no longer want to be associated with Penang Umno,” Dr Koh told a packed press conference at its state headquarters in Macalister Road.
The decision was made after the party liaison committee held an emergency meeting last night.
In the press conference earlier, Bukit Bendera Umno chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail had called on Dr Koh to be stripped of his state Barisan chairman post.
He said the post should be given to the MCA.
“We condemned the statement and irresponsible behaviour by Ahmad and his supporters.
“We are also extremely disappointed and saddened by the fact that many Penang Umno leaders were present and condoned such irresponsible and insensitive statement and behaviour,” Dr Koh added.
Dr Koh said Ahmad had tried to deny his mistakes over his alleged remarks describing Malaysian Chinese as “squatters.”
“He had twisted and turned a personal mistake into a conflict and crisis among BN component parties and the communities.
On his picture being torn at Ahmad’s press conference, Dr Koh said such action was seen as an act of disrespect and humiliation to the whole party and Barisan.
Penang Gerakan also lodged a police report at Jalan Patani station against the actions of Ahmad and his supporters.
Earlier, Penang MCA said it was severing ties with Bukit Bendera Umno.
“We will not attend activities organised by the division until the issue is resolved,” said state MCA chairman Datuk Liow Tiong Lai.
“If Penang Umno and other divisions continue to show its support for Ahmad, we will cut off ties with them as well,” he said after holding an emergency meeting at the state MCA headquarters.
Penang police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakob said police were keeping a close watch on the situation and advised everyone involved to settle the matter amicably.
“Our officers and men are out on the streets to ensure the situation remains peaceful and under control,” he added when contacted.
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Tuesday September 9, 2008
PM wants Ahmad to explain
PUTRAJAYA: Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s fate will be decided today after he meets the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to explain his actions.
A visibly upset Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he would seek an explanation as to why things got unruly in Penang yesterday.
He was referring to the press conference at Menara Umno in George Town where Ahmad’s supporters tore up a poster of former Penang chief minister and Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
“I have been told about it and Najib (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) and I will see him tomorrow.
“We will get an explanation as to why it happened and after that we will decide on the action to be taken against him,” he told reporters after breaking fast with foreign diplomats and OIC heads of mission at Wisma Putra here yesterday.
Ahmad recently came under attack for making controversial remarks about the Chinese community. During the press conference in Penang yesterday, Ahmad said Gerakan should leave Barisan Nasional for creating chaos among the component parties.
“It is not for him to ask a component party to leave Barisan. Tomorrow we will decide and decide quickly after meeting him,” Abdullah said.
On MCA’s call for Abdullah to take a firm stand on the issue, he said: “Of course I will make a firm stand. I am very unhappy with what happened.”
On whether Tan Sri Joseph Kurup would remain as Deputy Rural Development Minister now that he had lost his Pensiangan parliamentary seat in an election petition case, Abdullah said they would decide what to do as Kurup had not been suspended from his post.
Earlier, during an interactive session with the diplomats, Abdullah said the Barisan Government was here to stay and would complete the reforms promised under the coalition’s election manifesto.
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