malaysiakini logo
story-image
mk-logo
News
Umno does not rely on racial sentiments, Guan Eng told
Published:  Oct 10, 2016 2:56 PM
Updated: 7:06 AM
ADS

Cheras Umno division leader Syed Ali Alhabshee has refuted Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s claim that Umno resorts to playing racial sentiments to garner support.

“Umno does not rely on racial sentiments even though it receives the support of a large number of Malays,” Syed Ali said in a blog post today.

Although Umno’s struggles focus on the interests of the Malays, it also takes into account the needs of the non-Malays.

Umno, as part of the BN, Barisan Nasional, said Syed Ali, is respected and acknowledged as a party that fights for the Malays and at the same time does not disregard the rights of other races.

Yesterday, Lim said that only those who cannot address economic issues or the 1MDB scandal would resort to playing on racist sentiments to garner support.

Speaking at the Federal Territories DAP annual convention in Kuala Lumpur, he urged party members to ignore such politicking, and instead focus on economic issues.

“I urge members not to entertain such playing of sentiments, whether it comes from Umno or PAS,” Lim said.

However, Syed Ali said that Lim had made the allegation as an attempt to pull wool over the eyes of the rakyat, to show that DAP is supposedly the more open party.

Instead, Syed Ali claimed, DAP is the racist party, well-known for its dislike of unity among the Malays and Muslims in the country.

Although DAP had forged political ties with Malay-based parties, he said PAS and PKR were only used by DAP.

Lim’s claim was therefore without basis and Syed Ali said Lim was only trying to invoke the anger of the other races towards Umno.

“This is a racist thing to do, trying to incur the hatred of non-Malays towards Malays and Umno in particular.”

Umno, he stressed, had never practised despotic politics against its allies in BN.

“Umno would take into account the sensitivities of its allies for the interest of the rakyat as a whole,” Syed Ali added.

View Comments