Shed ‘all is well’ mentality, Gerakan chief tells BN

Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, seen here speaking while campaigning in the Teluk Intan by-election in May last year, says his party is having hard time explaining the actions of Umno leaders who have lost the sense of mutual respect for the Barisan Nasional spirit. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 20, 2015.Barisan Nasional (BN) should ditch the "all is well" mentality, and accept that it has to face the real issues and sentiments on the ground, Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong said today.

The Star Online quoted the minister in the prime minister's department as saying people are upset and angry over the racial undertones taken by some BN leaders.

He warned that if left unattended, it could "explode in the ruling coalition's face".

"It's time to get our act together and heed the voice of the people," he was quoted as saying when opening the Penang Gerakan Delegates Conference 2015.

"We are having a hard time explaining and convincing the people on the actions of leaders who have lost the sense of mutual respect for the Barisan spirit."

With people getting increasingly fed up with the endless politicking, the news portal also reported Mah saying it is time for leaders to "get over their anger".

"There is no need for heroes from a particular community only, as Barisan is a coalition for all races," the Teluk Intan MP was quoted as saying.

The racial undertones taken by some leaders from Umno, the main component party in the BN federal government, in recent years have upset the people.

In the run-up to the September 16 "red shirt" rally, BN component parties like MCA and Gerakan had voiced their objections to the gathering even as Umno said it did not endorse it but would not stop its members from attending.

International media had painted the rally – which was claimed to defend Malay dignity, as well as to counter last month's Bersih 4 rally that demanded reforms and prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's resignation over the scandals affecting his administration – as an anti-Chinese demonstration following provocative banners and words levelled against some Chinese journalists.

During the rally, Malay leaders delivered speeches accusing DAP of being the "mastermind" behind Bersih and any discord in Malaysia.

Umno Supreme Council member Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who was a speaker at the event, even said he was a racist and that racism was sanctioned by Islam.

Bayan Baru Gerakan Youth vice-chief Chan Kim Beng has lodged a police report against the racial slurs targeting the Chinese community by rally-goers, citing pictures shared via messaging app Whatsapp of participants with banners that read "Hapuskan SJKC" (abolish Chinese schools), and "Cina babi pendatang elok mati" (Chinese are pigs, immigrants should just die). 

- TMI