Hamidah: I was trying to deflect heat from Speaker

IPOH: Sungai Rapat assemblyman Hamidah Osman, under fire for uttering a racist statement, said her racial slur had been an attempt to stave off "certain sentiments" about assembly speaker V. Sivakumar.

Hamidah said that the whole issue had actually started after Perak Barisan Nasional assemblymen staged a walkout during the state assembly last Thursday.

The assemblymen had walked out because Sivakumar had barred Kubu Gajah assemblyman Datuk Seri Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar from debating first as promised, she said.

“After we walked out, I received many responses from friends and observers who uttered that statement, saying it was true.

“That’s why I stood up the next day to bring it up. I didn’t agree with that statement and I wanted the speaker to agree with me,” she told reporters here on Monday.

“To err is human and we all make mistakes. If my words had hurt the feelings of any Indian, I ask for forgiveness,” she said in what she termed was her third apology to the community.

Hamidah pointed out that she had already apologised the first time during the assembly on Friday, when she retracted the racial remarks.

She said her statement was from an old Malay proverb that meant to “not twist one’s words around”.

Hamidah was also there to meet with Gopeng MIC division leaders and members, organisations and temple committees to offer her apology and explanation.

Accepting her apology, division chairman M. Krishnan and his deputy V. Kesavan called on their 28 MIC branches to stop the furore so that everyone could move on.

Meanwhile, Perak executive councillor A. Sivanesan said 24 police reports had been lodged throughout the country against Hamidah for her remarks.

Perak Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali said Hamidah and Perak Barisan had apologised but yet certain quarters were still using the issue for political mileage.

CHRISTINA KOH & RASLAN BAHAROM
Star Online
01/07/08