Kuala Lumpur - Umno Youth will continue to use the keris as its symbol at the coming party general assembly and believes that with time the non-Malays will become de-sensitised to it.
Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said there was no need for the movement to be apologetic or defensive about it.
He believed there was “nothing sensitive with carrying on” the tradition started by the movement two years ago.
“I feel it is important we continue to do it so that the issue becomes de-sensitised over time.
“We will explain our position without any fear and with time, God willing, people will understand that there is no personal, sensitive and ulterior motives for doing it,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing the Umno Youth executive council meeting.
Hishammuddin said that he would touch on the keris and explain what it means to Umno Youth and the Barisan Nasional Youth in his policy speech at the party assembly next Tuesday.
Last year, Hishammuddin had unsheathed and kissed the keris at the assembly.
This later caused uneasiness among non-Malays when one or two speakers at that Umno Youth assembly made racially slanted remarks about using the keris.
At yesterday‘s press conference, Hishammuddin said that carrying a polystyrene keris, too, could become sensitive if people allowed themselves to be sensitive about it.
“I think Umno Youth is mature enough that when Gerakan Youth carried two plastic keris it doesn‘t raise any concern,” he said.
At the recent Gerakan Youth assembly, a delegate had wielded and waved two keris over his head, in an apparent spoof on Hishammuddin. This had tickled delegates at the Gerakan assembly.
Hishammuddin pointed out that two Umno Youth speakers were hauled up before the disciplinary panel last year to explain their remarks, which had been broadcast live.
“Do not take the voices of one or two speakers as gospel truth,” he said, adding that the media had given too much emphasis on the speeches of these speakers and not enough on his and his deputy‘s winding-up speeches, which had addressed the issue.
On whether he would ask the Umno Youth speakers to tone down their speeches this time, Hishammuddin said that it was a maturing process for the movement but it also applied to the Youth wings of the other Barisan component parties as well.
“As much as they want us to tone it down, they should also be sensitive to what is close and dear to our hearts as Umno Youth leaders. And this is our forum and we have to address our issues. But that does not mean that we will neglect issues that are close to them also,” he said.
He noted that at the end of the day, there were trust and comfort between the different races and this allowed the people to carry on together.
Source: thestar.com.my (30 Oktober 2007)
