The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) has taken a neutral stance on the growing movement against Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, stating that members are free to sign a petition condemning his actions without facing party restrictions.
MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon made it clear that the party would neither encourage nor discourage participation in the petition. "Those who wish to support the movement are free to do so, and those who don’t will not be encouraged," Chong told reporters at TAR UMT’s Foundation Day Celebration.
The petition, titled "Malaysians Against the Disrespectful Behaviour of Akmal Saleh, and a Memorandum for National Harmony", is led by academician Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi and former MP Mohamed Tawfik Ismail, calls for an apology from Akmal over statements deemed controversial and inflammatory.
Chong stressed that Dr Akmal’s statements were his own and should not be tied to Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition to which both Umno and MCA belong. "This follows the principle of physics: every action triggers an equal reaction. Continuously stirring up these issues may create the illusion of widespread support, but at the same time, it has also revealed significant dissatisfaction and discontent," he explained.
He warned against racialising issues and called for a more measured political discourse. Stressing that Dr Akmal, as Umno Youth chief, has made controversial remarks in the past continually, adding that while discussing sensitive matters isn’t wrong, the method of doing so matters. “His approach risks creating social conflict, and that is the biggest concern for unity in a diverse society.”
Chong made it clear that the issue was not about denying Dr Akmal’s right to defend Malay or Muslim interests but about how such matters are addressed. "The priority should be achieving meaningful outcomes rather than disrupting the harmony we have cultivated over the years," he said.
In a pointed remark about Umno Youth’s independent stance, Chong recalled that even when Umno as a whole chose not to attend a rally supporting former Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Razak, Dr Akmal still went ahead. “This clearly shows that his actions are his personal and independent stance and should not be linked to Barisan,” he added.
MCA’s decision not to influence its members’ stance on the petition signals a growing frustration within the BN coalition over Akmal’s approach.
As political tensions simmer, the question remains: will MCA’s silent resistance snowball into something bigger, or will it remain just a symbolic act of defiance?
Information Source: TheStar , Focusmalaysia
Kpost is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.