Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong said he has stopped surfing the Internet at night because he cannot sleep afterwards, from the numerous racist postings online.

 

Speaking at Gerakan's annual general meeting today, Mah said the young generation is getting increasingly racist online, and the polarisation on the Internet is starting to haunt the real world;

 

"I used to surf the Internet every night for one hour before I sleep, but the last six, seven months, I've stopped doing it at night.

 

"Because I cannot sleep after surfing the Internet. Not because of the negative comments or personal attacks on me, as a party president, I've gotten used to that.

 

"I cannot sleep and I do not want to read at night because when I read the blogs, Facebook , the comments made by young Malays, Chinese, Indians, are bad.

 

"It's so racist, so community-based," he said during his policy address at the AGM in Shah Alam.

Mah also urged BN parties to take action against their respective leaders who made racist remarks.

He said Gerakan would take the lead in a campaign to take stern actions towards its racist leaders, including kicking them out of the party.

“I would like to suggest here, if Gerakan leaders among us make racist remarks, we will take disciplinary action, including firing.

“I also suggest to our BN component parties, including Umno, MCA, MIC and so on, to also take action towards leaders who make racist remarks.

“If all of BN does so, this would strengthen consensus among component parties and lift support from all walks of life,” he said to applause from the delegates.