KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 ― Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak condemned today a Penang DAP lawmaker’s remark against the Malay party at a state assembly last Tuesday, describing the latter’s remark as “abusive”.
Najib, who is also prime minister, took to his official Facebook page earlier this morning to air his thoughts on RSN Rayer’s alleged tag on Umno as “celaka”, saying the Seri Delima assemblyman’s words were “uncalled for”.
“I strictly condemn the derogatory remarks made by a DAP member,” Najib wrote.
”This type of action incites disharmony as after all, we are all Malaysians.”
In the two-paragraph statement, Najib also advised Umno members against taking the law into their hands in reacting to the provocation.
“Any reactions should be within the bounds of law,” Najib said, adding, “We must strive to continue the good image of our party.”
Several Umno members had demonstrated outside the Penang legislative assembly on Wednesday and again yesterday at the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, after Rayer uttered the words “celaka, celaka, celaka Umno” during his debate at the state assembly on Tuesday.
Penang’s state opposition representatives from the Barisan Nasional (BN) demanded Rayer retract the words and apologise, but the second-term state lawmaker refused, saying “celaka” was a translation of “damn it” and added that it is also often used in jest.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has also weighed in on the issue, saying the state legislative assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang had taken immediate action by issuing Rayer a stern warning, which was a step away from ejecting him from the hall.
