'Noble' Ismail a hit with grassroots, but not Dr M
As more Umno supporters emerge to back minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob over his call to boycott Chinese businesses, the grand old man of Umno Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed his disapproval.
As more Umno supporters emerge to back minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob over his call to boycott Chinese businesses, the grand old man of Umno Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed his disapproval.
Speaking to reporters at a function in Kepong today, Mahathir said rising cost of living had nothing to do with ethnicity and that Ismail should look for the real cause of the problem.
"That's a negative way to try to solve the problem. Find out what is the cause.
"Maybe he didn't think (about) what he said. If he thinks carefully, he would not say boycott Chinese goods," said the former premier, according to The Rakyat Post .
Mahathir added that Malay and Indian businesses are also not reducing their prices and not all traders are Chinese.
"This is not about Chinese or Malay, this is about oil prices going down, but goods prices are not going down," he said.
On Monday, Ismail's Facebook post urging Malays to boycott Chinese business to compel the latter to reduce prices was widely shared on the Internet.
He later claimed that his message was intended only at some "stubborn" Chinese traders who refused to bring down the price of their goods in view of falling fuel prices.
However, critics have pointed out that Ismail's original message was aimed at depicting the Chinese community as profiteers and that he had claimed that the Chinese community was trying to "oppress" the Malays.
Since Monday, a string of Umno personalities have begun showing support for Ismail, the latest involving 92 Umno division leaders from across the country.
'What Ismail did is noble'
During a press conference today, the group said Ismail's comments were "noble" and instead blamed MCA and the opposition for turning it into a racial matter.
"What Ismail has done is that he has got people talking about the price of goods. We hope everyone will start talking about this issue now and we will see a difference soon," said Bukit Mertajam division chief Musa Sheikh Fadzir.
Musa also urged for the sacking of MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon ( left ), who had flayed Ismail for his statement posted on Facebook recently.
"We strongly condemn Chong's statements and we demand that MCA take action against this youth leader," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Musa and other division leaders also stated that they would support Ismail Sabri all the way, even if the latter is hauled by the police regarding the statement.
"His statement must be seen within the context of him replying to another person. People must look at the benefits he is raising with his statement," he said.
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