KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh has hit back at MCA, reminding the party that its presence in Parliament is due to Malay support.
His response came after an MCA vice-president suggested that Dr Akmal should reflect on why non-Malays strongly dislike him, Dr Akmal said in a Facebook post last night, according to a report published in Malaysiakini today.
“Try to reflect, the two seats you won are what kind of constituencies. In case you forget, I’m reminding you,” Dr Akmal said in a Facebook post last night.
While he did not explicitly state it, both Ayer Hitam and Tanjung Piai — MCA’s only parliamentary seats — are mixed constituencies with Malay voter majorities exceeding 50 per cent.
In Ayer Hitam, held by MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, around 56 per cent of voters were reportedly Malay in the last general election.
Dr Akmal’s latest exchange with MCA follows Facebook posts by Johor MCA deputy publicity chief Law Yiak Kwang, which were written in Chinese and later translated.
One of these posts was translated as referring to Dr Akmal as a “crazy Malay.”
Law later clarified that the phrase “癫马” is commonly used on social media and meant “Akmal who always acts irrationally.”
MCA vice-president Datuk Tan Teik Cheng suggested that Dr Akmal is perceived negatively because he frequently offends non-Malays.
In response, the Umno Youth chief dismissed claims that his actions were for attention.
“We defend our faith and race not because we want people to like us, but because it is our responsibility to defend the sanctity of our religion and race.
“If you touch and belittle (our race and religion), we will fight you to the end regardless of which party you are in,” he added.