MCA calls Umno Youth members ‘barbaric’ for barging into Penang assembly
MCA today joined its political rival DAP in condemning a group of Umno members who disrupted the Penang state assembly yesterday, calling it a "barbaric" behaviour that could further alienate voters from the Barisan Nasional coalition.
"Such violent behaviour by Umno and Umno Youth members will only make voters reject BN. As part of the component parties, MCA and Gerakan often suffer from the collateral damage by being condemned and criticised by voters as well. Yet, some Umno and Umno Youth leaders are still asking why the Chinese are not supporting MCA.
"If Umno leaders still want to ask why voters do not support BN, they should look at the actions of their members. If Umno wants to regain the people's trust and support, it should first discipline its members," said Penang MCA deputy chairman Tan Teik Cheng in a strongly worded four-paragraph statement.
In the general election last year, BN won 133 of the 222 federal seats, losing seven more seats from the previous general election in 2008.
It also lost the popular vote, securing only 47% compared with the opposition’s 51%.
However, Umno, which heads BN, won 88 seats, up from the 79 previously, due to support from rural constituencies.
Tan said Malaysia was a democracy and the intrusion into the state assembly was uncalled for.
He added that if Umno members were unhappy with remarks by an assemblyman, there were other avenues to voice their unhappiness instead of barging into the building.
In the 2.15pm incident yesterday, a group of 60 protesters managed to break through the automatic gates and stormed the Penang state assembly building in Lebuh Light.
They then shouted for Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer, who was not present, to apologise for allegedly uttering the words "Umno celaka" (Umno be damned) during the assembly sitting.
The session was in recess when the protesters entered the building and they were later escorted out by the house's protocol unit after about 10 minutes.
Following the intrusion, police detained 12 people, aged between 32 and 55.
DAP had condemned the intrusion as an attack on democracy, with Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo saying that such an incident could not be allowed to pass without the most severe of punishment.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin meanwhile criticised the action of some of his wing members who were among the group, but said it was "understandable".
"They are unhappy with the DAP assemblyman over what he had said, which was uncouth.
"However, storming into the hall is not right and they should have just protested outside the premises,” said Khairy. – May 22, 2014.
