Umno Information chief Ahmad Mazlan has been left high and dry by an ally in BN.

Penang Gerakan has failed to support his view that Umno is confident that the Chinese community will switch its support to BN in the next general election.

Ahmad has instead been told that the only way to regain the support of non-Malays, whether Chinese or from other minority groups, is to start treating Malaysians with dignity.

NONE Contrary to what Ahmad thinks, the Chinese will not return to the BN just because of "first class facilities" provided by the government, said Penang Gerakan legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh ( left ).

"Stop calling us immigrants ( pendatang ), drunkards ( kaki botol ), slanted eyes ( mata sepe t), prostitutes, ungrateful and a host of other labels.Stop labelling us!" he protested.

"What we need now are humble leaders not arrogant ones."

This puts Ahmad, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, in a spot.

Baljit was responding to yesterday's Bernama report quoting Ahmad as saying that it may seem that the Chinese support for the BN is on the decline but that he believes this will not last.

He said he believes the Chinese appreciate what the government has done for them and they are among those who enjoy first-class facilities as they live in urban areas.

Ahmad added that he was "confident and positive" that the Chinese will switch their support to the BN because their views and thinking will change in due course.

Corruption and cronyism

Baljit further said the government must be serious about fighting corruption and cronyism if it wants to regain the non-Malay support.

"Do it in the true spirit of 1Malaysia...it should not be just rhetoric or lip service. In corruption, catch the big fish, not just the small fry."

He also urged politicians to stop playing racial politics if they want to capture the hearts of all Malaysians.

He noted that in the March 2008 polls, and in the recent Sarawak election, it was not only the Chinese who had thrown their support behind DAP or Pakatan Rakyat.

"Politicians must stop being chameleons, because people will see through them right away," he said.

NONE Baljit slammed Umno-owned Malay language daily Utusan Malaysia for a controversial article by assistant editor-in-chief Zaini Hassan ( right ), which called for a '1Melayu, 1Bumi' movement in the country.

The statement is extremely detrimental to the 1Malaysia concept, he said.

He ticked off Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein for stating that newspapers, including the Chinese editions have also published editorials with racial sentiments.

"Two wrongs do not make a right," he said.

"If our government leaders can tackle the issues of corruption, cronyism and racism...people will support BN again. The silent majority is not racist...and neither do they endorse corruption and cronyism."