DAPSY National Varsity Affairs Bureau Director Ho Chi Yang criticizes UMNO Youth Chief Akmal Saleh inciting racial tensions by sensationalizing lies propagated by the opposition party PAS.
Ho stated that the recent conundrum began when PAS indiscriminately spread rumors by defaming the “Malaysia International Guan Gong Cultural Festival” as an unpatriotic event after seeing Chinese nationals waving the Chinese flag during the event. While it is uncommon for PAS to fan racial tensions, Akmal Saleh, who is an executive member of the Unity Government, unfortunately, seized the opportunity by joining the bandwagon in slandering the Chinese community, even threatening to instruct the Perak UMNO Youth to lodge police reports.
Ho, who also serves as the Pahang DAPSY Chief and Tanah Rata State Assemblyman, pointed out that the organizer had issued a public statement to clarify the incident and even publicly apologized, yet Akmal continued to sensationalize the issue by deliberately creating confrontation within Malaysia’s multicultural society.
Ho further stated that while the Federal Constitution guarantees Malaysians the right to freedom of religion, the “Malaysia International Guan Gong Cultural Festival”, now in its tenth year, plays an important role in preserving the beliefs and culture of the Chinese community. Moreover, given that the organizer has stated that there was never any plan to wave foreign flags, there is no need for Akmal to exploit lies spewed by the opposition for sensationalism.
“As a member of the Unity Government and an executive member of the Malacca state government, Akmal has not conducted himself with reason or professionalism. Instead, he has acted with malice by stirring up baseless rumors created by PAS in the first place. Such an irresponsible remark tarnished the reputation of the Malaysian Chinese community, created unnecessary racial tensions, and undermined the unity among all ethnic groups,” said Ho.
At the same time, Ho criticized Akmal’s frequent calls for UMNO Youth to file police reports as unreasonable. As a result, the police often have to divert their limited resources to handle nonsensical political drama, thus preventing them from maintaining professionalism in investigating important cases and ensuring the safety of all Malaysians.
As such, Ho urged Akmal to stop supporting the opposition party in fanning tensions within the multiracial society and strive to be a statesman respected by all Malaysians.