From Malaysiakini. PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim wound up his two-day thanksgiving tour of Permatang Pauh last night by dropping a hint he would begin discussions with government legislators from "Sabah, Sarawak and the Peninsular in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning". That possibility is looming large. The recent racist remark by Datuk Ahmad Ismail could be a catalyst, an excuse for the BN MP's to jump ship.

Will MCA, Gerakan and other Barisan Nasional component parties leave the coalition, if no action is forthcoming on that UMNO racist. Or will they continue to grin and bear it, as they have always done for many years being the arse wipes for UMNO , despite the Bukit Bendera Umno division chief calling the Chinese “squatters” and “as the Chinese were only immigrants it was impossible to achieve equal rights amongst races” at a ceramah during the Permatang Pauh by-election recently despite the fact that the DPM, Najib Abdul Razak was there, who probably carries the same sentiments as Datuk Ahmad Ismail.

MCA and Gerakan leaders have made tough calls for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take stern action against Ahmad for his alleged racist remarks. The best answer they got from Mr. Flip Flop was: “I will tell him (Ahmad) not to do it again. You know in a campaign all sorts of things can come up. I don’t think he meant it. I’ll make sure to tell him not to use it again.”

Veteran DAP Supremo, YB Lim Kit Siang said, "Why is the Prime Minister not prepared to show ‘solidarity’ with right-thinking Malaysians who deplore Ahmad Ismail’s insensitive, offensive, derogatory and racist remarks about the Malaysian Chinese? “I will declare my solidarity with what is right, just and true — including deploring insensitive, offensive, derogatory and racist remarks whether referring to the Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, whether it is made by a Chinese or non-Chinese leader. Why is Abdullah not prepared to take a similar stand?” he said in a statement today.

Abdullah’s stand is a disappointment as if he was going against his own 51st Merdeka message “No one citizen is recognised as being of a higher position than another in this nation. This nation belongs to all of us. Whether we rise or fall depends on all of us.” This latest lame duck rhetoric is expected to give another boost to the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader’s plan to persuade BN MPs to cross over to his side in his attempt to take over the government. The BN is already facing a tough problem in convincing the non-Malays to support the coalition, with many non-Malay politicians describing the situation as a reaction against Umno’s racial and discriminatory practices over the last few years.

It began to escalate with Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s brandishing his keris at the Youth wing’s assembly a few years ago which prompted delegates to come out openly against the Chinese and other non-Malays. The attitude hasn’t changed. A couple of months ago, Perak Umno state assemblywoman Hamidah Osman made a racist remark against the Indian community to the chagrin of the Pakatan Rakyat representatives in the state assembly.

Although she refused to budge, top Umno leaders later directed her to apologise to the Indians in country. As the battle for the top positions in the MCA and Gerakan has begun and would be decided next month, politicians in both parties are taking advantage of the situation to put the blame on Umno. With Ahmad’s remarks, it will be added ammunition for the aspiring candidates to advocate leaving the BN.

DAP veteran Lim had provoked them earlier. “Why didn’t the MCA and Gerakan ministers and leaders take a strong stand (on the eve of the Permatang Pauh by-election) to issue an ultimatum that Ahmad apologise and withdraw the racist remark, failing which they would pull out of the Barisan Nasional by-election campaign in Permatang Pauh? “Wouldn’t this be more effective and fruitful than just making protests ‘after the event’ — when it would still get them into the newspapers — although they are being ignored not only by Umno, the Barisan Nasional supreme council but also the Cabinet?”

This will give Anwar the advantage to convince some BN MPs and possibly state assemblymen too to think twice about remaining in the Umno-controlled BN — the fear of Umno hegemony. The DAP has given its full support for Anwar as the alternative Prime Minister. Leaders and grassroots members have no qualms about the former Deputy Prime Minister taking over the country's leadership. Extracts from the Malaysian Insider.