Two leaders from Umno have told Lim Guan Eng to “look in the mirror” after he accused Khairy Jamaluddin of being a “fake progressive” for defending the political approach of Akmal Saleh.
Nur Jazlan points to DAP leaders
Nur Jazlan Mohamed cited senior DAP leaders Nga Kor Ming and Ngeh Koo Ham, saying both had once been vocal in championing the Chinese community but had become less outspoken after joining the ruling bloc.
He also mentioned RSN Rayer, saying the MP had previously spoken strongly on issues involving the Indian and Hindu communities.
“Now that they are in government, they can afford to stay silent. But I would not be surprised if, once elections draw near, their old deeply buried instincts resurface,” he told FMT.
Earlier, Lim criticised Khairy for saying Akmal’s political style was necessary for Umno.
Lim argued that using a controversial and “extremist” approach to gain Malay support was wrong, regardless of whether it was done by Umno or Perikatan Nasional.
Social media politics rewards controversy
Commenting further, Nur Jazlan said Akmal’s outspoken style was unsurprising in today’s political environment, where social media-driven politics often rewarded controversial figures with rapid popularity.
“We are heading towards elections, and in today’s social media era, where people have short attention spans, controversial figures stand to gain greater political mileage,” he said.
Razlan accuses Lim of racial politics
Meanwhile, another Umno Supreme Council member, Razlan Rafii, also criticised Lim, accusing him of remaining trapped in outdated racial politics despite the country’s political landscape evolving.
Razlan said reactions from leaders defending the Federal Constitution would only emerge when there were attempts to challenge the federation’s original framework.
“Leaders like Lim Guan Eng are still trapped in race-based politics. Even though the country has progressed significantly, he continues to play politics under the guise of championing the Chinese community.
“It is not just Akmal and Khairy – the people also see Lim as continuing to play racial politics, which is why many reject DAP,” he said.
