Former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker has warned that Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s fiery rhetoric in the national flag controversy could “kill Barisan Nasional (BN)” and also damage Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Ti said Akmal’s theatrics would not secure more Malay votes for Umno but would instead alienate BN’s traditional Chinese and Indian supporters.
“If Umno does nothing or continues to back Akmal, the damage will not stop at MCA or MIC. Umno will effectively kill BN, and also hurt PH if they remain seen as partners. That’s why DAP is trying to distance itself from Akmal’s theatrics,” the former deputy unity minister told FMT.
He cited Akmal’s recent move to call a hardware shop owner an “apek” as playing into the Malay supremacy narrative, a strategy that once worked in Umno’s past but is now outdated in a more informed and progressive political climate.
“Demonising the Chinese community as a bogeyman is no longer effective,” Ti said.
He added that Akmal’s antics are counterproductive, alienating BN’s core base while failing to draw new Malay support. Dissatisfaction among Chinese and Indian voters could even push them to boycott or swing toward PAS in protest.
“This is unprecedented,” he stressed, urging BN to return to the inclusive and multicultural politics of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first prime minister.
