KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Penang MCA condemned today the intrusion by Umno members into the Penang Legislative Assembly yesterday as “barbaric” and warned that it would only set voters against Barisan Nasional (BN).

The state’s MCA liaison committee deputy chairman Tan Teik Cheng said MCA and Gerakan will suffer due to their association with the Malaysia nationalist party.

“Such barbaric and violent behaviour by Umno and Umno Youth members will only make voters reject BN and as part of the component parties, MCA and Gerakan often suffer from the collateral damage by being condemned and criticised by voters as well,” he said in a statement today.

BN lost Penang in  defeat in 2008 winning just 11 state seats in the 40-seat assembly, most of which were won by Umno in Malay-majority areas.

In Election 2013, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) bagged 30 state seats with bigger margins, wiping out all MCA and Gerakan contestants.

“Yet, some Umno and Umno Youth leaders are still asking why the Chinese are not supporting MCA,” said Tan.

He called Umno to review the act of its members pointing out that such behaviour is the reason BN is losing its support base.

“If Umno wants to regain the people’s trust and support, they should first discipline their own members,” said Tan, adding that the discontent Umno members should have resorted to “more democratic and civilised objections instead”.

Yesterday, a group of Umno members gathered outside the state assembly building in George Town before forcibly breaching the gates to storm into the main hall.

They had demanded to see Seri Delima state assemblyman RSN Rayer to obtain an apology from the lawmaker who had allegedly uttered the words “Umno celaka” (Umno be damned) on Tuesday during the sitting.

More than 10 of them created a ruckus inside the main hall while demanding to know where Rayer sits in the hall, before leaving frustrated.

Police later detained a dozen individuals over the incident.

The group have gathered outside the building again today insisting they will not leave until Rayer meets them and apologises.