Media Statement by Loke Siew Fook in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 8^th July 2009:

Kedah state government and Kedah DAP must find the best reconciliatory solution; UMNO Youth reaffirms its status as the de-facto party of hooligans

DAPSY National Executive Council in its meeting last nigh at DAP headquarters discussed at length various current political issues and resolved that;

1) The DAPSY national leadership urges the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat state government to be serious about finding a reconciliatory solution for the ongoing rift between itself and DAP Kedah.

DAPSY understood the circumstances that led to DAP Kedah pulling out of the state Pakatan Rakyat but we are of the opinion that both sides shall seek the best solution to resolve their problems with each other, and that breaking up the coalition is not a solution.

DAPSY wishes to remind Pakatan Rakyat governments that they have been entrusted by the Rakyat to serve people of all religious, cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds as an effective coalition. Therefore, Kedah state government must be sensitive to the needs of the non-Malays community in Kedah.

2) The DAPSY national leadership also passed a unanimous resolution to condemn in the strongest possible term the UMNO Youth hooligans who assaulted a number of people including DAPSY NEC member and State Assemblyman for Ayer Keroh Khoo Poay Tiong, DAP Malacca Chairman and State Assemblyman for Kesidang Goh Leong San and a bystander at a DAPSY voter registration booth in Malacca when trying to stop the activity.

UMNO Youth members have no right to stop other parties from providing voter registration services and to resort to violence when they don’t have it their way. DAPSY will not bow to such barbaric act. We fully support DAPSY Malacca and all other state DAPSY to be even more active in our voter registration campaign as we are doing a national service for our democracy.

After rudely confronting Karpal Singh in Parliament, UMNO Youth members were once again putting their gangster roots on display in Malacca. UMNO Youth has hence reaffirmed its status as the de-facto party of hooligans in Malaysia.

UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaludin should make an open apology for its members’ unruly behavior and the police should immediately charge the culprits.

* Loke Siew Fook, DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) National Chairman & MP for Rasah