Unity minister defends Ismail Sabri over racially tinged FB post

Unity minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said the call for Malays to boycott Chinese businesses was ‘well-intended’. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 2, 2015.

A minister has defended Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's racially tinged call for Malays to boycott Chinese businesses, saying that it was "well-intended" and aimed at galvanising consumers to avoid premises that hike up prices indiscriminately.

Unity minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said traders had raised the prices of their goods when global oil prices were increasing, adding that since global oil prices were now on a downtrend, it was within reason for the agriculture and agro-based industries minister to ask traders to lower their prices too.

"I think it is well-intended. He is asking people, for example the Bumiputera community, to do their own enforcement by not going to premises that are still increasing the prices of their goods," he told The Malaysian Insider.

However, the minister in the prime minister's department refused to be drawn into the controversy over whether Ismail's call was racist and against the 1Malaysia concept propagated by the prime minister.

"To me, when he said things like this, it is well intended because it means he is encouraging people to do their own enforcement," he said.

Asked if he would seek out Ismail for further clarification, Kurup said: "If I got time to talk to him... possibly he will explain."

In his Facebook post, Ismail said Malay consumers had a role in helping the government fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the prices of goods.

"Forgive me for sharing my views, but besides the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, which uses the Price Control Act and the Anti-Profiteering Act to act against traders who raise their prices indiscriminately, the greatest power lies with the consumers.

"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he said in a post on the social networking site.

Ismail, who is the former domestic trade and consumerism minister, confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that the statement had been made by him on his Facebook account.

The post has been shared numerous times by other Facebook users and some have also congratulated him for being "bold" in his statement.

Ismail also singled out the Old Town White Coffee chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Khoo Ham owned shares in the company.

"Malays are still refusing to boycott (Old Town White Coffee) what more when its owner is said to be the DAP Ngeh family of Perak who are known to be anti-Islam.

"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," he said.

Attempts to contact Ngeh for clarification failed as he did not respond to calls and messages.

Ismail told The Malaysian Insider that his statement was directed at Chinese businesses whom he said were "reluctant" to lower their prices.

"I am referring to Chinese traders who are reluctant to reduce the prices of goods even though the price of petrol has come down.

"What I want to emphasise is for people not to depend solely on the government to ensure the prices of goods come down because as consumers, they can use their power to pressure businesses," he said.

In his post, Ismail took Malay consumers to task for continuing to patronise Chinese outlets "even though their halal certification is suspect" and even though some of these outlets have had action taken against them. He did not specify which businesses these were.

"Imagine, many Chinese eateries have no 'halal' logo and they have been raided a few times and caught because their 'halal' certification is suspect, (but) Malays continue to crowd these restaurants, when there are thousands of Malay restaurants which genuinely 'halal'," he had said.

Besides Ismail, other ministers who have insisted that traders lower the prices of goods in light of decreasing oil prices are Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan and current Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Haslan Malek.

However, Ismail was the first to call for a Malay boycott of Chinese businesses.

- TMI