Inferior Umno losing people’s respect, reacting with violence, says DAP

DAP does not fear Umno's hooligans and gangsters because it has the support of the people, said the party's acting chairman in a fiery speech tonight.

Tan Kok Wai (pic) said Umno is a party that is mired in political cowardice, as it is no longer a strong political entity.

The party, he said, has failed to command the respect of most Malaysians, including the Malays.

"Cowards will always feel inferior and they will do something stupid. They will sometimes also use force," Tan, the party's acting chairman said at the Han Chiang school hall where the DAP held a mega ceramah for the Bukit Gelugor by-election.

"One of the burning issues in Malaysian politics today is political gangsterism, which is on the rise, and most of it is committed by Umno Youth," Tan said.

He also said Umno Youth has disgraced its own party and Malaysia.

The latest Umno-DAP spat came about after DAP's Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer uttered "Umno celaka" (damn Umno) at the state assembly last Tuesday.

The following day, a mob of about 30 Umno members forced their way into the state assembly building looking for Rayer.

Following this, another group of Umno Youth members gathered outside the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, where they threatened to burn down the party's headquarters yesterday. They also damaged a signboard outside the building.

And today, a similar incident was reported in Kuantan, where the DAP office was pelted with eggs and another signboard damaged.

Earlier today, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin apologised to DAP for the incident in KL and offered to pay for the damaged signboard.

At the DAP headquarters yesterday, Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Mohd Rafii reportedly threatened to burn the building.

Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the incidents reflected the desperation by Umno to stop the people from rising against them.

Penang DAP deputy chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo related the intrusion to the state assembly to the audience tonight.

The state housing exco, who was in the House, said he saw the drama unfold before him when the group barged into the House.

"I sat there. I saw the samsengs (thugs) barge into the House, a restricted area... nd they admitted that they are from Umno.

"They jumped at the Speaker's seat and then they came towards me. I feared for my life," he said, adding that he thought Penang might end up seeing another by-election.

Jagdeep, who is Karpal Singh's eldest son said, as a party member he was angry but nobody from the DAP reacted in the same manner as Umno, he said.

"You would think Umno and Barisan Nasional would have heard the clear message after the last two general elections and would reform and repent.

"Is this acceptable? Can you go out and vote for Ramkarpal this Sunday and deliver Bukit Gelugor with an even larger majority?

"It is the only way to teach them. Can or not?" he said to a thundering applause and cheers from the enthusiastic crowd.

Parit Buntar MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa got the crowd laughing and cheering when he said PAS would never "hausiao" (a Hokkien slang for "bluff") doing something like that when he whacked Umno Youth over the incidents.

He said he is ashamed as a Malay for what Umno had done.

"People hate what you do in the name of Islam," he said as the crowd cheered.

Hundreds of people had filled the hall in less than 30 minutes after the ceramah began. Thousands more filled up the school field to catch the ceramah live from projector screens.

At 9.10pm, when DAP's candidate for the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat arrived, he was given a standing ovation.

The people clapped for close to five minutes and cheered. The name "Karpal Singh" was chanted several times as some in the audience blew horns and whistles.

Ramkarpal will go up against three independents in the by-election on Sunday.

The same reception was also given to veteran leader Lim Kit Siang and Mujahid, who arrived at the same time, and later when opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng arrived.