File 28 : There is a saying...

There is a saying, which my friend often tells me. “Sometimes, we have to apologise even if we had not done anything wrong”. My teacher also once told me, “A person who apologise is a winner…”

Last few days, an issue had been raised up in major daily newspaper. A statement made by Bukit Bendera UMNO divison head, Datuk Ahmad Ismail where according to the reports, he had made racist statement during campaigning in Permatang Pauh.

I could not tell whether his statement was really racist or not as I was not there, hearing his speech. But whether it is or it is not, to call the Chinese as squatting in Malaysia and that they are immigrants was an impropriate thing to be said by a leader. Furthermore, leaders should show good examples and not otherwise.

Last Sunday's newspaper stated that according to him, the statement was made while referring to the old days . As for me, whether he likes it or not, Malaysians of other ethnics are not immigrant today as most of them now were born in Malaysia.

In addition, he said that he has a principle and this so-called principle had made him to reject a call made by the Prime Minister to apologise. What an insult to the PM! I do think that he needs to apologise.

Malaysians had been living together for such a long time and we are like brothers. To make such a statement was a disgrace towards nation’s building. Plus, it could hamper our hope of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

He should just apologise. There is nothing wrong to just say, “I am sorry…”. It does not matter whether Ahmad Ismail is on the right side or on the wrong side. Apologise to make things better is a great thing to be done. As the saying goes, “A person who apologise is a winner…”