By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today
GEORGE TOWN: Ahmad Ismail, who is set to make a comeback as the Bukit Bendera Umno division chief, is the same man he was two years ago - defiant.
Speaking at a press conference in Tanjung Bungah today, the Umno warlord once again insisted that Gerakan must apologise.
He also denied being a racist, and described himself as someone sacrificed to appease the critics baying for his blood.
The press conference was held to announce the en bloc resignation of all 36 Bukit Bendera Umno division members, in order to pave the way for a fresh polls so that Ahmad could reclaim his post.
The firebrand Umno leader, who commands a sizeable grassroots following, was slapped with a three-year suspension in 2008 for making racist remarks, which drew flak from MCA and Gerakan.
He labelled the non-Malays as 'pendatang' or immigrants, and therefore argued that they were not entitled to the same privileges as the Malays.
Despite the subsequent outrage, Ahmad refused to apologise and in a heated press conference later, his supporters tore posters of Gerakan president Koh Tsu Khoon.
Following this, Penang Gerakan severed all ties with the Umno division.
'I am not a racist'
Asked today if he would patch things up when he takes over, Ahmad Ismail demanded that an apology be tendered first.
“The Gerakan state leadership need not say sorry to me. But it must apologise to the whole division,” said the Umno leader.
Commenting on his suspension, which was lifted by the party supreme council last December only after 14 months, Ahmad said that he was a “victim of circumstances”.
He said Umno needed to silence the critics, and moreover, the incident happened just a few months after the March 8 general election, so Umno had to be seen as taking action.
“Personally, I have no quarrel with anyone... and I am not a racist either,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Ahmad also expressed his appreciation for current division chief Abdul Jalil Ariffin's unselfish act to step down.
“Not everyone would relinquish an Umno leadership post and make way for others,” he said.
Since day one of the controversy, the Bukit Bendera division has stood firmly behind its former chairman.
In a related development, Penang Gerakan chief Dr Teng Hock Nan said he will issue a statement in response to Ahmad's apology demand tomorrow.
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