Khairy: Ibrahim Ali a dangerous racist

The Umno Youth chief censured the Perkasa supremo for warning the Chinese against supporting Bersih on July 9.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today accused Malay rightwing group Perkasa’s chief Ibrahim Ali of being a “dangerous racist” for his threats against Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese.

The Rembau MP attacked Ibrahim for warning the Chinese against joining in the Bersih 2.0 (Coalition for Free and Fair Elections) rally on July 9.

“I want to let the Chinese know that this is an MP that does not represent the Malays (as a whole). We are (a) noble (people).”

“This is a very real and clear threat to a single community in Malaysia,” the Rembau MP told reporters in Parliament.

Ibrahim yesterday warned ethnic Chinese “that anything could happen” if they were to support Bersih.

Telling the Chinese to stay at home, he allegedly said: “Try to imagine if there is chaos (…) if the Bersih demonstration isn’t cancelled, I believe the Chinese will have to keep provisions.”

Ibrahim was believed to have been referring to the May 13 racial riots in 1969, where martial law was declared following violence in Kuala Lumpur.

Ibrahim had said this when he launched his own rally aimed at opposing the Bersih rally. Umno Youth too will be holding its own gathering on the day to protest against the Bersih rally.

Bersih aims to gather thousands of people on the streets of Kuala Lumpur to highlight its concerns over unfair electoral process in the country.

This has drawn criticisms from various quarters, including Perkasa and Umno Youth. Several police reports too have been lodged against Bersih over its planned rally. Bersih organisers however have stressed that their gathering would be peaceful.

Investigate under Sedition Act

Khairy said that the Perkasa chief’s comments warranted an investigation under the Sedition Act.

“This is a racist, seditious and dangerous statement. Action should be taken against him (Ibrahim),” Khairy said.

He said that Umno Youth too did not agree with Bersih’s stance, but it did not have any intention of causing chaos in its July 9 protest.

“We do not do this with the intention of creating chaos or clashing with Bersih. Even though we don’t agree with Bersih, but we do this with good intentions.”

“But what Ibrahim Ali said, I feel is something very dangerous. (…) There’s nothing brave about what he said. There’s no other case that’s more clear than this, where the Sedition Act should be used,” Khairy said.

Speaking in support of the right to public assembly, Khairy thought that Ibrahim’s words went too far.

In a related matter, the Umno Youth chief said that his Barisan Nasional comrades did not have to show up to the July 9 demonstrations if they did not want to.

“It’s up to MCA and MIC. I can’t order them (to come). It’s up to them,” he said. MCA had previously said it would not participate in any July 9 gathering.