Umno’s Akmal has lost the argument against academic, says Zaid

 

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim urged Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh to propose better ideas to defend the economically weaker Malays.

PETALING JAYA: A former law minister said Dr Akmal Saleh has lost the argument with an academic after the Umno Youth chief claimed he was defending Islam over the controversy surrounding socks bearing the word “Allah”.

Zaid Ibrahim said it was inconceivable that Islam and Allah were weak.

“Why defend the strong, the All-powerful? Here, you can see Akmal has lost the argument,” he said in a post on X.

Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI University had labelled Akmal a bully over the Merlimau assemblyman’s insistence on a boycott of convenience store chain KK Mart following the sale of the socks.

Tajuddin had said Akmal was unlikely to summon the Chinese ambassador following a challenge to demand an apology from China for allowing a manufacturer there to produce the socks.

He said that bullies always picked on those weaker than them.

But Akmal disagreed saying he was a defender who protected the weak from being bullied and that in this case “Islam and Muslims have been insulted”.

Zaid went on to suggest that Akmal, as an Umno leader, should defend the economically weaker Malays.

One way is to push for the housing and local government ministry to be given to a “thinking Malay in charge of town and urban planning”.

“This way, the Malay lands in the towns and cities will have better plot ratios and densities. They’ll also have greater value and be utilised better.”

Nga Kor Ming of DAP currently leads the ministry.

Zaid also said Akmal should work towards setting up a planning unit for the rural and regional development ministry so that Umno could guide the development of rural lands to be economically valuable.

He said if Akmal wanted to be a leader he should be able to think, adding that while everyone could “shout and threaten”, the Malays needed a leader who could plan for them.

“Change your tactics, Akmal. The Muslims are weak, but the way to deal with this is to make them economically strong. Give some good ideas to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Tell him to be bold. There is no other way you can show leadership.”

KK Mart’s founder and director, Chai Kee Kan and Loh Siew Mui, were charged in court today with intentionally wounding the religious feelings of Muslims by selling the socks, while three officers in vendor Xin Jian Chang Sdn Bhd’s top management were charged with abetting. All claimed trial. - FMT