Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein came under fire at the MCA Youth annual general assembly today for stoking racial sentiments in portraying himself as a hero for Malay Malaysians.

Without mentioning names, Malacca delegate Tai Boon Hock criticised an Umno Youth leader for 'holding up a keris (traditional Malay dagger) and shouting about bumiputera rights'.

"A leader shouldn't hold a keris to stir up racial sentiments just for the sake of portraying himself as a hero. Try to think how other races would feel if I held a sword here today?" he said to a resounding applause from the 1,798 delegates.

"We are all Malaysians and we should share equal economic opportunities," he added.

Hishammuddin, in the recent Umno Youth assembly, had raised the keris when calling for the revival of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

The majority of delegates, chosen by their respective states to debate on the wing's 10 proposed resolutions also rejected the New National Agenda (NNA) contrived by Umno Youth.

Discontinue affirmative actions

Perak delegate Lew Yoon Lun criticised Umno Youth for not consulting other Barisan Nasional component parties before making the proposal.

"The NNA was proposed before discussing with BN component parties and adopted as a government policy later," he said.

He then asked the delegates if they agreed with him, evoking a thunderous applause with some chanting the word 'support'.

Lew also called on the government to extend the economic cake to other races and discontinue affirmative actions for the bumiputera, such as the assurance of a 30 percent corporate equity.

Selangor delegate Ching Eu Boon said the criticism against the NEP revival was not directed at any particular race but was meant to urge the government to implement policies from a macro perspective.

However, Kedah delegate Yeoh Peng Seah criticised MCA Youth leaders for 'not doing anything' to voice their opposition against the NNA.

It's unbelievable

Joining in the fray was MCA Youth vice-chairperson Han Chin Pheng, who cited a Chinese proverb that described the implementation of the NNA as quelling the voice of the people.

He also blasted the Umno Youth leaders for not attending the annual meet but merely sending party workers.

"I can't believe the whole Umno Youth wing could not even send a single leader here today.

"They merely sent an executive secretary and an assistant, they did not even call but informed us via SMS about their absence," said Han, who then shouted "return our dignity!" three times.

He added that during the Umno Youth annual general assembly, the MCA Youth secretary-general and himself had attended as a mark of respect.

"It is not us who want to make a comparison but there is a limit to our patience," he stressed.

However, the wing's only resolution concerning economic affairs did not make a specific stand on the NNA.

'We fully support the government to eradicate poverty irregardless of race. We also hope the government abolishes any economic distribution structure based on racial quota...' it read.

Hishammuddin in Bangkok

Hishammuddin, who is also education minister, was unable to attend as he is in Bangkok for an Asean level ministerial meeting.

In his speech earlier, MCA Youth chief also did not make a clear stand on the NNA but called for the formation of a national economic consultative council to deal with the matter.

This, he said, was "to correlate with the consultation spirit of Barisan Nasional all this while".

This morning, he had also told reporters not to link the absence of Umno Youth leaders with the controversy.