DAP gets breather as Akmal targets MCA with trademark racial tone

 

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has taken a brief hiatus from his campaign against ally DAP to turn his attention to a new target - this time much closer to home.

In his latest tirade, the Merlimau assemblyperson aimed his criticism at fellow BN component party MCA, and, true to form, fired a racially tinged remark by referring to its vice-president Tan Teik Cheng as “Ah Pek”.

Previously, Akmal’s infamous “Nyonya Tua” (old woman) remark targeting DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok led to a defamation suit, which is scheduled for trial on Feb 12.

MCA drew the ire of the Umno Youth chief after Tan criticised Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a liability to BN.

In response, Akmal urged Tan to propose that MCA leave BN if the former Penang assemblyperson was truly dissatisfied with the coalition’s current leadership.

“If you think the BN chairperson is a liability, then you might as well propose that MCA leave BN. And if MCA does not agree, then you alone should leave MCA,” he added in a social media post.

Akmal questioned Tan’s influence, citing his poor performance in previous general elections to illustrate his point.

“You contested and lost by a huge majority. You really talk big, ‘Ah Pek’,” he said in a disparaging tone.

He went on to list Tan’s past election results in Padang Lalang in 2004, 2008, and 2013, as well as Machang Bubuk in 2018, highlighting a decline in support from 51.83 percent in 2004 to just 14.73 percent in 2018.

“I am attaching the election results that you contested in, so that you can realise who the real liability is,” he added, urging MCA president Wee Ka Siong to procure a mirror for his vice-president for self-reflection.

Similarly, Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi asserted it is MCA that is a liability to BN, as it has failed to draw support from the Chinese Malaysian community.

Puad said Tan should urge his party president, Wee Ka Siong, to surrender his Ayer Hitam seat - which he said has a Malay majority - to Umno, and take on the DAP stronghold of Kluang.

“Then we will find out who is a liability,” he said.

War of words

Tan criticised Zahid after the Umno president retracted his earlier claim that there was a “Team B” within DAP after being contradicted by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.

This war of words between MCA and Umno comes in the wake of Zahid attempting to placate MCA and MIC and encouraging them to close ranks within BN during last week’s Umno annual general assembly.

MCA and MIC have on several occasions expressed dissatisfaction with Umno’s leadership and the government on various issues. - Mkini