Ahmad Ismail
Encyclopedia
Datuk Ahmad Ismail is a Malaysian politician and a member of the United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO), serving as the chief of UMNO's Bukit Bendera
(Penang Hill
) division in the state of Penang
.
Ahmad Ismail is known for controversial actions and remarks made in the fields of politics, business and sports, including the latest controversy in which he uttered incendiary remarks about the Chinese community during and after the Permatang Pauh by-election in August 2008
, leading to his suspension by UMNO in September 2008.
in Permatang Pauh
that primarily pitted Barisan Nasional
candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah (UMNO) against Pakatan Rakyat
candidate Anwar Ibrahim
(PKR) for the Permatang Pauh
parliamentary seat.
On August 25, 2008 local Chinese daily Sin Chew Daily reported a speech made by Ahmad Ismail on the evening of August 23, 2008 at Kampung Pelet to campaign for Arif Shah, in which he allegedly stated Malaysian Chinese
were "immigrants" and "squatters", and could not have equal rights. In a September 6 statement by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Ahmad was quoted that he merely uttered the remark based on historical facts and claimed it was not a racist statement as reported by Sin Chew Daily, accusing the paper of misinterpreting him.
Despite criticism of his remark in the by-election and expressing regret that it resulted in controversy, Ahmad remained defiant and refused to apologise. In a further outburst during a press conference on September 8, Ahmad seditiously warned the Chinese community not to seek political power:
Following a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on September 9, Ahmad would later be quoted in stating Malays were "frustrated" and that Malay "dignity" was at stake, remaining convinced that he is more nationalistic defending the Malays rather than being racist:
(MCA) demanded an apology from Ahmad, with secretary-general Wee Ka Siong
stating Ahmad had angered the Chinese as well as other non-Malay communities; Wee had also received numerous complaints from the Chinese community in the past two days. On September 9, Gerakan
president Koh Tsu Koon
announced Penang Gerakan has dissociated itself from UMNO's Penang branch, holding leaders of UMNO Penang accountable for failing to condemn Ahmad's conduct:
Views among members of UMNO were less conclusive. Following revelations of Ahmad's comments in the by-election, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi stated party leaders expressed "regret and anger" over Ahmad Ismail's remark, as UMNO considered actions to be taken against Ahmad. Former Law Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad
voiced similar views that Ahmad Ismail has be held accountable for his remarks and issue an apology. In a September 6 report published by Utusan Malaysia
, Muhammad Muhammad Taib
reiterated Ahamd's defense, asking the public, especially politicians, not to put forward baseless accusations against Ahmad, claiming his remarks could merely be used in the context of history rather than politics.
ruling coalition. On September 12, 2008 Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng who reported the speech made by Ahmad Ismail, had been arrested under the Internal Security Act
at 8.30pm at her home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
The MCA, a component party of the Barisan National, has expressed shock that Ahmad Ismail, who made racist remarks has not been taken to task but reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who wrote about the incident, has been arrested instead. "The perpetrator who vowed to conduct a nationwide roadshow on his remarks without any remorse is still at large," MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said.
The company was a special purpose vehicle, intended to receive concession to develop the Penang Outer Ring Road
(PORR), a project which was subsequently delayed by the federal government in 2008 following the 2008 general election
. Additionally, a majority stake in Peninsular Metroworks was indirectly linked to Ahmad Ismail: A 55% stake in the company was held in its early years by Nadi Senandung Sdn Bhd, which Ahmad was the director of; the remaining 45% was held by Setegap Bhd and Kumpulan Pinang Holdings Sdn Bhd, the latter a full subsidiary of Yayasan Bumiputra Pulau Pinang .
Ahmad Ismail was also the director of Popular Profile Sdn Bhd, which the Penang Development Corporation believed had wrongfully taken and kept RM500,000 from the state in a botched land transaction for Bukit Minyak
in 1998, before winding up in 2005; Ahmad was believed to have to have cut links with the company in 1998. A police report was lodged by Penang Development Corporation on the September 3, 2008.
in Korat
, Thailand
, Ahmad led the pullout of Malaysia's sepak takraw
team at the last minute.
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO), serving as the chief of UMNO's Bukit Bendera
Penang Hill
Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, which is from the city centre of George Town. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area...
(Penang Hill
Penang Hill
Penang Hill is a hill resort comprising a group of peaks in Penang, Malaysia. It is located in Air Itam, which is from the city centre of George Town. The hill stands out prominently from the lowlands as a hilly and forested area...
) division in the state of Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
.
Ahmad Ismail is known for controversial actions and remarks made in the fields of politics, business and sports, including the latest controversy in which he uttered incendiary remarks about the Chinese community during and after the Permatang Pauh by-election in August 2008
Permatang Pauh by-election, 2008
A by-election was held for the Dewan Rakyat parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh on August 26, 2008 with nomination day on August 16, 2008. The seat of Permatang Pauh in the Dewan Rakyat, fell vacant after the resignation of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on 31 July 2008...
, leading to his suspension by UMNO in September 2008.
"Chinese as squatters" remark
In late August 2008, Ahmad Ismail was highlighted over racist remarks uttered during campaigning in a by-electionPermatang Pauh by-election, 2008
A by-election was held for the Dewan Rakyat parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh on August 26, 2008 with nomination day on August 16, 2008. The seat of Permatang Pauh in the Dewan Rakyat, fell vacant after the resignation of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on 31 July 2008...
in Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh is a town in Seberang Perai, the hinterland portion of the island-state of Penang, Malaysia. Permatang Pauh is now led by Anwar Ibrahim who is the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh....
that primarily pitted Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah (UMNO) against Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan Rakyat or PR is an informal Malaysian political coalition. It currently controls four state governments while in opposition to the ruling Barisan Nasional at the federal level....
candidate Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
(PKR) for the Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh
Permatang Pauh is a town in Seberang Perai, the hinterland portion of the island-state of Penang, Malaysia. Permatang Pauh is now led by Anwar Ibrahim who is the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh....
parliamentary seat.
On August 25, 2008 local Chinese daily Sin Chew Daily reported a speech made by Ahmad Ismail on the evening of August 23, 2008 at Kampung Pelet to campaign for Arif Shah, in which he allegedly stated Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese
Malaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
were "immigrants" and "squatters", and could not have equal rights. In a September 6 statement by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Ahmad was quoted that he merely uttered the remark based on historical facts and claimed it was not a racist statement as reported by Sin Chew Daily, accusing the paper of misinterpreting him.
Despite criticism of his remark in the by-election and expressing regret that it resulted in controversy, Ahmad remained defiant and refused to apologise. In a further outburst during a press conference on September 8, Ahmad seditiously warned the Chinese community not to seek political power:
"The patience of the Malays and Muslims has a limit. Do not push us to the wall, as when we turn back we will be forced to push the Chinese in the interests of our own survival [...] The Chinese should not try to be like the JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is not enough they control the economy, now they want political control."
Following a meeting with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi on September 9, Ahmad would later be quoted in stating Malays were "frustrated" and that Malay "dignity" was at stake, remaining convinced that he is more nationalistic defending the Malays rather than being racist:
"Half the Chinese say I'm a racist but most Malays say I'm a nationalist defending my race [...] What I see now is a rise of the Malay people, and I feel we should capitalise on the strength, the support we get from the Malay people... I know they are with me."
Reaction to His Comments
Revelations of Ahmad Ismail's comments during and after the by-election drew widespread criticism predominantly from the Chinese community. On August 27, the youth wing of the Malaysian Chinese AssociationMalaysian Chinese Association
Malaysian Chinese Association is a uni-racial political party in Malaysia that represents the Malaysian Chinese ethnicity; it is one of the three major component parties of the ruling coalition in Malaysia called the Barisan Nasional in Malay, or National Front in English.Along with the largest...
(MCA) demanded an apology from Ahmad, with secretary-general Wee Ka Siong
Wee Ka Siong
Datuk Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong is a Malaysian politician who has served as Member of Parliament of Ayer Hitam, Johor since 2004....
stating Ahmad had angered the Chinese as well as other non-Malay communities; Wee had also received numerous complaints from the Chinese community in the past two days. On September 9, Gerakan
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia
The Malaysian People's Movement Party is a political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on March 24, 1968, and , it is part of the ruling National Front coalition....
president Koh Tsu Koon
Koh Tsu Koon
Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon is a Malaysian politician. He was the Chief Minister of Penang from 1990 to 2008 and is currently a member of the Dewan Negara, the upper house of the Malaysian Parliament...
announced Penang Gerakan has dissociated itself from UMNO's Penang branch, holding leaders of UMNO Penang accountable for failing to condemn Ahmad's conduct:
"We no longer want to be associated with Penang UMNO. We condemned the statement and irresponsible behaviour by Ahmad and his supporters. We are also extremely disappointed and saddened by the fact that many Penang UMNO leaders were present and condoned such irresponsible and insensitive statement and behaviour. He had twisted and turned a personal mistake into a conflict and crisis among BN component parties and the communities."
Views among members of UMNO were less conclusive. Following revelations of Ahmad's comments in the by-election, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi stated party leaders expressed "regret and anger" over Ahmad Ismail's remark, as UMNO considered actions to be taken against Ahmad. Former Law Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation , and is a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of parliamentary affairs. In June 2005 Nazri caused controversy when he shouted the phrase "bloody racist" 28...
and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad
Mahathir bin Mohamad
Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad . is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysia's longest serving Prime Minister. His political career spanned almost 40 years.Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir...
voiced similar views that Ahmad Ismail has be held accountable for his remarks and issue an apology. In a September 6 report published by Utusan Malaysia
Utusan Malaysia
Utusan Malaysia is a Malay language pro-government newspaper in Malaysia. First published in Jawi, the newspaper is now published in romanised letters...
, Muhammad Muhammad Taib
Muhammad Muhammad Taib
Tan Sri Muhammad bin Haji Muhammad Taib is the former Rural and Regional Development Minister. He is also the United Malays National Organisation information chief and former Menteri Besar of Selangor...
reiterated Ahamd's defense, asking the public, especially politicians, not to put forward baseless accusations against Ahmad, claiming his remarks could merely be used in the context of history rather than politics.
Reactions to His Suspension
However stronger action than had been expected in a bid to soothe growing anger from the Chinese community and among parties in Barisan NasionalBarisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
ruling coalition. On September 12, 2008 Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng who reported the speech made by Ahmad Ismail, had been arrested under the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act (Malaysia)
The Internal Security Act 1960 is a preventive detention law in force in Malaysia. The legislation was enacted after Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957. The ISA allows for detention without trial or criminal charges under limited, legally defined circumstances...
at 8.30pm at her home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.
The MCA, a component party of the Barisan National, has expressed shock that Ahmad Ismail, who made racist remarks has not been taken to task but reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who wrote about the incident, has been arrested instead. "The perpetrator who vowed to conduct a nationwide roadshow on his remarks without any remorse is still at large," MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said.
Business
In 1995, Peninsular Metroworks was founded with Ahmad Ismail as its executive chairman.The company was a special purpose vehicle, intended to receive concession to develop the Penang Outer Ring Road
Penang Outer Ring Road
Penang Outer Ring Road or PORR is a planned expressway in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. If constructed, it will connect Gelugor in the south, near Penang Bridge to Tanjung Bungah in the north...
(PORR), a project which was subsequently delayed by the federal government in 2008 following the 2008 general election
Malaysian general election, 2008
The 12th Malaysian general election was held on March 8, 2008, in accordance with Malaysian laws for national elections, which states that a general election must be held no later than five years subsequent to the previous elections; the previous general election was held in 2004...
. Additionally, a majority stake in Peninsular Metroworks was indirectly linked to Ahmad Ismail: A 55% stake in the company was held in its early years by Nadi Senandung Sdn Bhd, which Ahmad was the director of; the remaining 45% was held by Setegap Bhd and Kumpulan Pinang Holdings Sdn Bhd, the latter a full subsidiary of Yayasan Bumiputra Pulau Pinang .
Ahmad Ismail was also the director of Popular Profile Sdn Bhd, which the Penang Development Corporation believed had wrongfully taken and kept RM500,000 from the state in a botched land transaction for Bukit Minyak
Bukit Minyak
Bukit Minyak is an industrial zone located near Permatang Tinggi, Penang, Malaysia. The town is usually busy in the morning, quiet at night. Driving tests are also held there...
in 1998, before winding up in 2005; Ahmad was believed to have to have cut links with the company in 1998. A police report was lodged by Penang Development Corporation on the September 3, 2008.
Sports
In addition to interests in politics and business, Ahmad Ismail was also the president of the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association. During the 2007 Southeast Asian Games2007 Southeast Asian Games
The 24th Southeast Asian Games was held in Nakhon Ratchasima , Thailand from December 6 to December 15, 2007....
in Korat
Korat
Korats are a slate blue-grey shorthair domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Their bodies are semi-cobby, and surprisingly heavy for their size. They are intelligent, playful, active cats and form strong bonds with people. Among Korats' distinguishing...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Ahmad led the pullout of Malaysia's sepak takraw
Sepak takraw
Sepak takraw , or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula...
team at the last minute.