Khairy says sorry privately, DAP says no cure

DAP has rejected the olive branch held out by Khairy Jamaluddin, who said he apologised privately on social media to a DAP leader over the damage done to the opposition party's signboard by Umno Youth members.

Instead, DAP party strategist Ong Kian Ming said only a public apology from the Umno Youth chief would be satisfactory.

Khairy (left) said he conveyed his apology over yesterday’s turn of events to Ong in a personal message sent via Twitter.

Although he defended the right of the Umno Youth members to protest at the DAP headquarters, Khairy said it was "unfortunate" that the incident took such a turn due to his members’ "excessive behaviour".

"I directly messaged him (Ong) on Twitter. I said of course it is our right to go there (to protest).

"But as far as the destruction of DAP's property is concerned... I apologised for the destruction of the signage and offered to pay for the signage," Khairy told a press conference in Putrajaya this afternoon.

However, Ong, who confirmed receiving the message, was not to be placated, describing such an apology “unacceptable”.

“It is a private message. The action taken by Umno Youth (members) is a public action. When we ask him (Khairy) to apologise, it should be a public apology.

“A private apology is unacceptable,” Ong told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Ong had met Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Mohd Razlan Mohd Rafii, who led the protest outside DAP headquarters yesterday, to receive a memorandum of protest.

However, an emotional Mohd Razlan kept screaming at Ong in anger, before tearing up the memorandum and throwing it in his direction.

“This memorandum is not for giving to you but it’s for throwing at you,” exclaimed Mohd Razlan.

Series of protests

The incident yesterday was a part of a series of protests by Umno Youth over DAP’s Seri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer’s labelling of Umno as “celaka” (damned) during the Penang state assembly sitting.

Last Wednesday, Umno Youth had barged into the state assembly in Penang, looking for Rayer.

Despite the actions, a public apology is also found wanting from DAP, as Rayer has insisted that he will not apologise for the remark.

Asked whether Umno Youth will take disciplinary action against its members who invaded the state assembly in Penang and damaged DAP’s property in KL, Khairy said it depended on police investigations.

“This is the subject of police reports so I don’t want to pre-empt the police reports.

“If the storming of the legislative assembly is trespassing, then the boys will need to face the music,” he said.