Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar has been urged to lead by example and publicly apologise for his followers’ unruly behaviour when they threatened to burn down the DAP headquarters on May 22.

DAP MP Ong Kian Ming has again urged Khairy to apologise publicly for the incident, even though the youth and sports minister said yesterday that he was prepared to wrap up the incident after making a private apology to Ong.

Ong, who was there to meet the protesters, however said this will not do. The protesters tore down the DAP sign and acted like gangsters and this has fallen far from what the two-term youth leader Khairy promised Umno Youth would be, Ong added.

“I want to highlight the fact that Khairy did not apologise for the behaviour of his Umno Youth colleagues but rather only apologised for the sign being damaged, “ Ong said in a press statement.

“It is unbecoming of a youth leader who talks a good talk when facing a more ‘liberal’ audience or an international audience but does not have the courage to acknowledge and condemn the unacceptable and uncivilised behaviour of his own Umno Youth leaders.”

Ong said that since Khairy sent him a private message, this did not count. He said he had only circulated the private apology among DAP members, since it was considered “off the record”.

But since Khairy had told Malaysiakini yesterday that “whether it is private or public , it is the same thing,” Ong then went on to reveal the full message:

  • Khairy: The lads got carried away. Apologies for the sign. I'll have it replaced. Please inform your party. (May 22)
  • Ong: They are coming again tomorrow after prayers, expected to b bigger group, hope u can ask them not to come, hard to control once they are here. (May 22)
  • Khairy: OK.
  • Khairy: Send me the bill for the sign. (May 22)
  • Ong: bro, a private apology cannot be considered an apology lah (May 23)
On May 22, about 50 Umno Youth members demonstrated outside the DAP headquarters in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, over a remark made by Penang DAP assemblyperson RSN Rayer.

They had threatened to torch the DAP building if the contentious remark was repeated and damaged the party’s signboard.

Police last week detained six Umno Youth members and took statements from 27 witnesses. The six were being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation.