Mat Rempits in action at Parliament

Hisham stands by Youth members involved in scuffle

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein says he will back the Umno Youth members who created a fracas in Parliament yesterday.
Saying that he would not apologise for their actions, he criticised DAP chairman Karpal Singh for being irresponsible and said that he would stand by his subordinates whether it was before a Parliamentary Privileges Committee or a court of law.

The Education Minister told reporters that those who had confronted Karpal yesterday said they would take full responsibility for their actions.
“If they are brought before the privileges committee, I will attend. Even if it is in court, I will be with them.
“We will defend our honour and our good name,” he said.

“Karpal is an MP who is irresponsible in playing with fire,” Hishammuddin said, calling the Bukit Gelugor MP’s assertions in Parliament that “Pemuda Umno Celaka (Damn Umno Youth)” had sent him live bullets a “wild accusation.”

Hishammuddin, who is also Barisan Nasional Youth chief, said that those statements and Karpal’s “insults to the Malay rulers,” a reference to Karpal’s insistence that he could bring the Perak sultan to court over the change in government in the state, made “not just the youth angry, but citizens at large and myself.”

He accused Karpal of “hiding behind the immunity of Dewan Rakyat” and said that was playing with fire as it still had an effect on the grassroots and if allowed to spread, would turn into a racial issue which can be exploited.

Hishammuddin also said that the issue of apologising does not arise as it was Karpal who had provoked them. Furthermore, he said he was not personally responsible for the incident.
“I had no role in the incident. I had no idea they would do it and never issued any such order,” he said.

He added that the actions of a few Umno Youth members did not reflect that of the entire wing nor that of BN Youth in general and that the incident should not be blown out of proportion and the tension allowed to dissipate instead.