Monday, June 30, 2008

Lim: Tajol Rosli should say sorry for Hamidah’s racial slur - The Star

IPOH: Jun 30, 2008

Perak Barisan Nasional should make a public apology over the racial slur Sungai Rapat assemblywoman Hamidah Osman made at the recent state assembly, said Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang.

Lim said it showed the mentality of Barisan assemblymen.

“She humiliated the Indians. Barisan should assume full responsibility for what had happened,” he said, when opening the Buntong DAP service centre here yesterday.

On Friday, Hamidah was reported to have asked Speaker V. Sivakumar if he “agreed to disagree'' with the well-known fable of whether a snake or an Indian man should be killed first.

She only retracted her words when Tajol Rosli asked her to do so.

Lim pointed out that a similar incident occurred in Parliament about 10 years ago, when Tajol Rosli was an MP then.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said Indians were “aggrieved” with what had happened.

“The MIC should be ashamed of what has happened and pull out of the Barisan,” he said, adding that Hamidah’s statement was not good for nation building.

Buntong Jaya Parti Keadilan Rakyat branch chief M. A. Tinagaran said Hamidah’s slur had inflicted an emotional scar on the Indians.

“We are not happy and we want her to apologise publicly in all major dailies,” he said.

In George Town, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Umno should take stern action against Hamidah if the party did not share her views.

“I found this shocking, especially when it (the utterance) came from an assemblyman. The comment is clearly unacceptable.

“She is a disgrace to all wakil rakyat,” said Lim after launching a children’s play camp at SJK (C) Shang Wu yesterday.

He said he had received many SMSes from the Indian community expressing their anger and outrage.

“We are Malaysians. We must show compassion to each other regardless of race, religion, gender and political affiliation,” he added.

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