The war of words among Barisan Nasional component parties over an alleged racist remark made by an Umno division leader has escalated after the latter refused to tender an apology.

Penang BN chief and Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon said today that he could not accept Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail’s explanation on the controversy yesterday.

“His explanation has caused more damage. We don’t accept the explanation which was couched in such terms, it was totally irresponsible and uncalled for,” Koh told Malaysiakini this evening.

koh tsu koon serious 030908 The Gerakan leader, who has been branded as a “great liar and opportunist” by Ahmad yesterday, insisted that the Umno division leader should have apologised to the Chinese community.

He called on the police to immediately investigate the police reports lodged against Ahmad while Umno, on the other hand, should look into the action to be taken against its division leader.

“Since he (Ahmad) claimed he didn’t say it, the police must investigate. If there is evidence (to show Ahmad had uttered the remark), he should be charged under the Sedition Act,” said Koh.

He also blasted Ahmad’s adamant stand for putting the entire BN coalition at stake.

“He is risking the relationship among the component parties and worse still, the inter-ethnic relationships,” emphasised Koh, who has just returned from Sabah to officiate a party’s meeting.

Koh-Ahmad’s ties soured since 2006

The controversy erupted after Ahmad was alleged to have said that the “(Malaysian) Chinese were immigrants squatting in this country” at a ceramah during the recent Permatang Pauh by-election campaign.

The speech caused Ahmad to come under heavy fire from Chinese-based political parties, particularly from Umno’s allies MCA and Gerakan over the past week.

Police reports were also lodged against the Umno division leader.

Ahmad nevertheless refused to apologise yesterday and defended himself saying that his remark was taken out of context by a vernacular daily as he was refering to pre-Independence period.

His refusal to apologise however came as a snub to Prime Minister and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had earlier urged Ahmad to make an apology.

Even Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has also apologised on behalf of Ahmad.

ahmad ismail bukit bendera umno penang racist cina tumpang 050908 03 In his press conference yesterday, Ahmad also slammed Koh as a “great liar and opportunist”, saying that the Gerakan acting chief was using him (Ahmad) as a pawn to resurrect their waning credibility, position and relevance among the Chinese community after the last general election.

Responding on this today, Koh - who is also former Penang chief minister - shot back at Ahmad, saying that the latter was “trying to settle a personal score” with him through this controversy.

The Gerakan leader disclosed there was bad blood between him and Ahmad since December 2006 when he refused to extend Ahmad’s councillor’s term at the Penang Municipal Council on the ground that the latter has exceeded the maximum four-year appointment term at the council.

“He insisted that he must be special (to get an extension of the term) but I put my foot down and refused to re-appoint him,” the ex-chief minster recollected on how their ties turned soured.

On the next course of action, Koh said he would bring up the Ahmad controversy at the next BN supreme council and suggest to the council to enact a new provision to empower the BN top body to take action against “recalcitrant” component party members.

At present, only respective BN component parties can take action against their members. The BN supreme council, which comprises top guns of all the parties, has no power to do so.

“The new rule must be put into place to prevent future re-occurrences of such incidents because we (the other BN component parties) are being held at ransom by a recalcitrant member at the lower level.

“This is to ensure the long-term survival of BN,” he stressed.

‘No comment’ on Kee Kwong’s departure

Meanwhile, Koh said he has “nothing much to comment” on former Federal Territory Gerakan chief Dr Tan Kee Kwong’s announcement to defect to opposition PKR today.

“After all, he has been suspended by the party,” said Koh, adding that Tan’s move is not likely to be followed by other party members.

Tan’s departure from Gerakan did not come as a surprise as in May this year, he has accepted the appointment as co-chair of the Selangor Special Task Force on Land Issues from the PKR-led Selangor government.

It was also a public secret that Tan could not see eye to eye with top Gerakan leaders especially after he backed then deputy Kerk Choo Ting to take on party president Dr Lim Keng Yaik in the Gerakan polls in 2006.

Nonetheless, Tan’s decision came as a blow to the party as he is the third senior Gerakan leaders to quit the party this year, following in the heels of Lee Kah Choon and Dr Toh Kin Woon.