Umno suspends Ahmad three years

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has suspended Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail from the party for three years over his alleged racist comments.

He has been stripped of his division chief post and all its rights as a member. Thus, he cannot vote in the coming party elections, cannot contest for posts and will not be able to attend the Umno general assembly during the three-year period.

The suspension is effective immediately.

Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Abullah Ahmad Badawi announced the decision Wednesday after a special supreme council meeting convened specifically to discuss Ahmad’s case.

The action was taken in accordance with Section 20(9) of the party constitution.

“Many Umno supreme council members gave their views and we are of the opinion that Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s comments and actions have caused worry, protest and anger among Barisan Nasional,” he said.

During the Permatang Pauh by-election campaign, Ahmad caused a furore when he allegedly said the Chinese in the country were immigrants and squatters and thus did not deserve equal rights.

He refused to apologise or retract his statement. After a press conference on Monday, Ahmad’s supporters went to the extent of tearing up a poster of Gerakan acting president and Penang state Barisan chairman Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

This led to Penang Gerakan and Penang MCA severing ties with Penang Umno, and for Barisan Nasional to convene a supreme council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Barisan component parties said they were unhappy with Ahmad’s comments and asked that Umno take “immediate and stern action” against him, which led to the special Umno supreme council meeting being convened.

When announcing the decision to suspend Ahmad, Abdullah -- also the Barisan chairman -- said the Umno supreme council also wanted other component parties to act sternly and take disciplinary action against their own members if they committed a similar offence.

“All components parties must be firm. If any of their members make comments which whip up racial sentiment and cause anger among the races, and which could jeopardise ties between Barisan component parties, they must take disciplinary action,” he said.

To a question, Abdullah said Ahmad had the right to appeal the supreme council decision.

Later, Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the decision to suspend Ahmad unanimous.

After stopping 10 busloads of his supporters on their way to the Putra World Trade Centre where the supreme council meeting was being held, Ahmad said he would not retract his statements, but urged his supporters and all Malays to remain calm.

At a press conference, he said he accepted Umno supreme council’s decision to suspend him, but added he would “make a comeback.”

He accused Gerakan’s Dr Koh of “raising temperatures” on the issue of race relations.

Dr Koh was one of the many leaders who had asked Ahmad to apologise to the Chinese community.

He also denied that he had torn down a picture of Dr Koh at a press conference on Monday.

Abdullah also said that the Cabinet at its meeting Wednesday had discussed racial relations in the country.

“The Cabinet feels that racial tension may arise if sensitive issues are raised. The Cabinet has ordered ministries with laws pertaining to this to enforce them.

“If it is necessary, the ISA may be used on those who stoke racial tension,” he added.


I get this from Star Online...only 3 years suspension...zzz
stil haven apologise yet...wtf..
should expel him from UMNO like wat Gerakan said..
PUT HIM INTO ISA!!! like wat 'dude' fela told me...haha!!

sienz nia...