No disciplinary action against Langkawi MP by Umno, says Tengku Adnan

Umno will not be taking disciplinary action against its lawmaker, Langkawi MP Datuk Nawawi Ahmad (pic) for his insensitive remarks following Karpal Singh’ s death as the former had apologised.

The Malay party’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said however, they will "advise" the first term parliamentarian .

"I have given my comments on this matter on Twitter. We don't condone such behaviour.

"However, we will not be taking any action as he did it in his personal capacity and I believe it was not deliberate. We will call him up and advise him," he told reporters after officiating a carnival for teenagers in Kuala Lumpur today.

Tengku Adnan stressed that the remarks made by Nawawi is not reflective of the party's stand, who he said sympathised with Karpal’s family and was sad over the death of the Bukit Gelugor MP, who was killed when his Toyota Alphard multi-purpose vehicle collided with a lorry on the North-South Expressway near Kampar, Perak on Thursday.

Also killed was his long-time aide Michael Cornelius Selvam Vellu, while his son Ramkarpal and the driver escaped with minor injuries.

Following Karpal’s death, Nawawi had posted on his Facebook account a montage of pictures from the accident and an old news report quoting Karpal as saying that an Islamic state would only be possible "over my dead body".

The montage was accompanied by a message by Nawawi which read: “Would anyone like to take on Karpal Singh’s challenge? Please give your names. Hehe.”

Nawawi had retracted the Facebook posting three hours later but refused to apologise, insisting that the message was not meant for official consumption.

After causing a furore on social media and drawn criticisms from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Nawawi tendered an open apology.

"I would like to express my deep remorse and regret on what transpired the last two days about my posting on my private Facebook account pertaining to a status of what happened to the late YB Karpal Singh.

"Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologise to the family of the late YB Karpal Singh and everyone, who I have offended due to a needless and careless posting," he said in a statement posted on his Facebook account yesterday.

Later at a press conference last night, the Langkawi MP said he only realised how inappropriate his action was.

“After some harrowing days and nights of thinking, I have reached a conclusion that I have done something unethical or unacceptable by the public at large, and I truly regret doing so,” Nawawi said.

“Today, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies, especially to the family members of the late YB Karpal Singh, as well as to all Malaysians that were affected by my posting, and I withdraw all my words,” he said. – April 20, 2014