“Are They Wearing Skirt Or What?” Bersatu Man Mocks Umno Youth Members!

Vocal Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh hasn’t found much support from his own party members for his often controversial “heroic” actions and racially-provocative statements – prompting a Bersatu activist to mock them.

JK Joseph is a content creator under the Newswav Creator

Umno Youth leader Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh seemed to have found an unlikely “ally” in Bersatu information committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin aka “Chegubard” who has questioned the obvious lack of support for the outspoken leader from his own party members!

Apparently, this was in relation to the Merlimau MP’s recent verbal spat with tourism minister Tiong King Sing over the controversial listing of bak kut teh as a national heritage food. In fact, with both sticking to their guns there seems to be no amicable solution in sight although both are members of the same coalition in PM Anwar’s unity government.

For the record, in a recent interview with Suara TV posted in his Facebook account Chegubard had stated that although Umno Youth has some 191 divisions nationwide none seemed to have voiced their support for their leader; this was in spite of Tiong having allegedly labelled Akmal as “stupid, extremist and uneducated” recently!

He then went on to mock Umno Youth that another reason for their silence could be that their members have all started wearing skirts (not being brave enough) ever since they joined hands and started working with DAP in the unity government. But was there a hidden motive behind his statement?

For the record, Dr Akmal has earned a reputation for being a vocal and hands-on leader who is not afraid to take the bull by the horns. However, his brash style and “lack of empathy” towards the feelings of non-Malays has also attracted brickbats from several quarters within PM Anwar’s multiracial Madani government.

In addition to the bak kut teh controversy which pitted him directly with the Chinese community in the country, previously he was also embroiled in another heated war of words with DAP strongman Nga Kor Ming over the listing of Chinese “new villages” as Unesco Heritage Sites.

Then more recently when there was a call for more Chinese to be recruited into the civil service to address the racial imbalance there, Dr Akmal had swiftly responded by saying that rightfully the invitation should also be extended to other races; he then added with a tinge of “sarcasm” that perhaps the Chinese should be encouraged to join the armed forces too!

Incidentally, the Melaka state exco member is also known to be a staunch supporter of disgraced ex-PM Najib Razak and last September he had actually led a 2,000-strong rally in the capital city to demand a full royal pardon for his former boss.

Then subsequently, early this year, when Najib’s prison sentence was commuted to half by the Pardons Board chaired by the King himself, the Umno Youth leader seemed visibly upset and alleged that the Malay nationalist party was “played” by the authorities.

He then went on to slam former DAP leader Tony Pua for his remarks on the “discounted” pardon granted to Najib and even vowed to see him in court!

Meanwhile, last September the Umno Youth chief found himself in the news headlines again after “raiding” several rice dealers in Melaka where he openly reprimanded some for not complying with government guidelines which purportedly contributed to the rice shortage in the country then.

But, although his “turun padang” antics was welcomed by some, many actually branded it as a rude display of power with some even alleging that it may have been racially-motivated.

In fact, Dr Akmal’s actions had also drawn flak from his own senior party member Datuk Syed Azmi Syed Nazir who cautioned him to refrain from portraying himself as a “hero”; this was after the Umno Youth chief had threatened to take action if their views and stance were not accepted by the party’s top leadership.

Incidentally, last year Dr Akmal courted further controversy after defending the opposition Perikatan Nasional for organising a rally purportedly to “Save Malaysia”; ironically, it was to protest against the court’s decision to grant a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) to deputy prime minister Zahid Hamidi – who shockingly, is his own party president!

Finally, not surprisingly, Dr Akmal is also a proponent of a single stream school system and just recently claimed that the younger generation in the country were segregated since their early years by the current vernacular school system which allegedly hindered national unity. He appeared to propose this despite being aware that it will cause unease and anguish among the Chinese and Indians.

Perhaps, it will take some older heads to advise the young, all-action Umno Youth chief that it’s always good to be aware of which side one’s bread is buttered on!

Moreover, in the context of a multiracial country such as Malaysia, where the lives, history and interests of all the races are intertwined, it may be wiser to take the “moderate path” by respecting the rights and feelings of other races.

In fact, it is only universal values like sincerity, humility and mutual respect that will ensure harmony and unity in the country; not huddling children into single stream schools and forcing them to learn about unity – when all around them they see people, and especially politicians, openly and unabashedly spewing racism and hatred. So, perhaps, there is a reason after all, why even his own party members and others are not supporting him!