Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin said a "clear message" was delivered to Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon during the wing's annual meet in Kuala Lumpur today.


 He was responding to the remarks made earlier by Umno Balik Pulau Youth chief Shahaedan Ayoob Hussein at the Umno Youth general assembly regarding the problems faced by the Malays in the Gerakan-controlled state.


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 "I am confident what Shahaedan said is important in showing Tsu Koon the plight of the Malays in Penang. The message is clear enough.


 "If it is not clear, I don't how it can be better delivered," Khairy told a press conference at the end of the youth wing's debate this evening.


 The son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also said that Barisan Nasional component parties should accept criticisms by Umno Youth in an open manner.


 "The criticisms were made sincerely so that the Malays (in the state) can see further development and the disparity between the races be reduced," he added.


 Khairy said these were not his or Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein's views but that of the grassroots. "We have to accept the reality," he stressed.


 He also said if Umno Youth continue to be criticised after having made this explanation, it would only show that "certain quarters have sinister intentions".


 
 
 No apologies
 
 




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 Asked why the Umno Youth leadership did not stop the grassroots from raising such racial issues, Khairy replied:


 "The grassroots have their own views. We cannot stifle them from raising what they feel is important. It is better for them to voice their views than seek other solutions that may not be desirable."


 When asked, Khairy declined to say if he agreed or disagreed with the grassroots.


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 "We need to see their point of view. We must understand that they are unhappy. I don't think they are being racist," he added.


 Khairy said Umno will continue to fight for the interest of the Malays and will not apologise for being a race-based party.


 "They (MCA and MIC) will also not apologise when they fight for the agenda of their race," added the 31-year-old Oxford graduate who recently came under fire for saying that the Chinese would take advantage if the Malays are weak.


 
 
 Slanted media reports
 
 




 Earlier, Shahaedan told delegates that slanted media reports made Penang Umno Youth looked like it was stoking racial sentiments against the state's non-Malay chief minister.


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 He was referring to the incident which saw a number of banners denouncing Koh at an official function two months ago for supposedly neglecting the welfare of the Malays in the state.


 "We never discussed making the banners. But the banners were made by Malay youths who were under pressure," said Shahaedan.


 He said the youths were voicing the concerns of the Malays as well as other ethnic groups over their inability to afford decent housing.


 "But the cynical media... portrayed the movement as being racist. What happened with
 
 The Star
 
 (newspaper) was that it portrayed the Youth movement as
 
 biadap
 
 (uncouth) in putting up the banners," he added.


 Shahaedan said this paved the way for MCA and Gerakan as well as the opposition DAP to attack Penang Umno Youth.


 
 
 Extremist friends
 
 




 The Penang delegate also criticised the Barisan Nasional component parties for publicly questioning the government's leadership.


 "They do not educate their friends. They just make demands or objections and follow the wishes of their extremist friends," he said.


 He described the decision by the non-Muslim ministers to submit a memorandum on religious issues as "insulting".


 BN component parties used their NGOs to further raise such issues, he said, citing the "uncouth and vocal" Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC).


 PCCC had asked for a review of a 30-percent bumiputera requirement in foreign business in the island, adding that it was discouraging foreign direct investments.


 According to Shahaedan, PCCC supplied goods and services to the thousands of factories located in the Penang free-trade zone.


 "This is a billion-ringgit industry which the Malays cannot penetrate," he said.


 "There are more than 1,200 factories, but we cannot even be cleaners or cleaning contractors. Why? Because PCCC's towkays control it (the industry) tightly," he added.

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The message on the plight of the Malays in Penang cannot get any clearer, says Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy: Penang CM gets 'clear message'

~RM12

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