(Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday): Umno Youth Chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein should let us know his feeling and action on the treatment of Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra during Tun Hussein Onn's premiership.

Tunku played an important part in the Independence of Malaya and the creation of Malaysia. The DAP honoured him specially in a forum in Dewan Hang Tuah Melaka in 1985. I was chairman of the organizing committee.

Malaysians should respect Tunku for his role in Merdeka and nation-building. Hsihammuddin and Khairy have attacked DAP on the issue. What do they think of the treatment meted out to Tunku during Tun Hussein's tenure as premier?

In 1978 Tunku wrote the chapter, Actors on the Political Stage, in his book Viewpoints:

"Politics is a game of life, no less providential and God-sent than other fine professional careers. Very much depends on how one plays politics, and where one plays it...

"But some of the things these men (the circle that formed itself around the Government) did before they were exposed included demands to the media that I was to be given little or no publicity. I have had so much publicity in the last twenty years since I took over the leadership of UMNO, and the only bother this 'silence' ever caused me was that this black-out of any mention of me in the Press might be taken by others as a punishment for some serious offence I might have committed when I was Prime Minister.

"A book was introduced into schools which made no mention of my part in building this nation of ours. This was tantamount to libel and defamation of character, but when I knew what was behind it I kept silent. They might have overplayed their hand; all I had to do was to keep quiet."

Bapa Merdeka could be thus gagged. What hope has other people?

Hishammuddin and Khairy have chosen to play politics in their own way. Would they truly read what Tunku sensed as a libel and defammation of his character? What is their action for posthumous redress of the wrong done on Tunku?