Tuesday June 21, 2011

Khairy: ‘Stock up’ statement a threat to Chinese community

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has urged the authorities to take action against Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali for “threatening” the Chinese community.

Khairy said Ibrahim had made a veiled threat against the Chinese community by asking them to “stock up” before the planned Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9.

“It is a racist and seditious statement that is dangerous. Action should be taken against him as his statement is a clear threat,” he said at Parliament lobby here yesterday.

He added that the authorities should use the Sedition Act to investigate Ibrahim over his statement.

Ibrahim, who recently announced that Perkasa would hold a demonstration to counter the planned Bersih 2.0 street rally on July 9, had called on the Chinese to stock up on food “as anything can happen”.

Khairy said Umno Youth would go ahead with its own rally on July 9 in support of the Election Commission and democracy.

Meanwhile, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai advised party members to stay away from rallies or events organised by the Opposition, especially the Bersih 2.0 street rally.

He said party members had been told to stay away from the July 9 gathering as it was planned to sow hatred towards the Government.

Liow said there were other methods for the people to raise their concerns, but street demonstrations were not the way.

Senator Ezam Mohd Nor, meanwhile, said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had no right to demand for a free and fair election when he himself could not check complaints of election irregularities in PKR.

“PKR had virtually ignored hundreds of complaints lodged against corruption and manipulation during its party polls last year,” Ezam said yesterday.

Ezam noted that former PKR political bureau member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, former party vice-president Mustafa Kamil Ayub, former PKR central leadership council member Badrul Hisham Shaharin were among leaders who had complained about discrepancies in the party polls.

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