PRM vice-president Rustam Sani today insisted that he was not a racist who made disparaging comments regarding the Chinese community, adding that he will not apologise over something which he did not do.

He was responding to Karpal Singh's statement today that the opposition front leaders should direct him to apologise to the Chinese community over his recent [#1] article[/#] that the community could not be trusted and could be easily manipulated by whoever was in political power.

Karpal said that only this could put an end to the controversy over the article.

Karpal, who is the DAP deputy chairman, told malaysiakini today that Rustam should accept that his description of perception of the Chinese was misconceived.

He reiterated that the article by Rustam was defamatory and that it was formed from the basis of humiliating and insulting any racial denomination in the country.

He added that if Rustam had repeated the perception from the views he gained from talking to people, he should then have named them in his article.

Fear for opposition

"If you repeat rumours, you are guilty of defamation. If he claims that the prime minister too has the same perception, that does not mean the prime minister is right," said Karpal.

Karpal said that his main fear was that the opposition alliance will be alienated by such controversies.

"First it was the Indian community during the Lunas by-election and now it's the Chinese community," he said.

In the Lunas by-election, the opposition front was embroiled in controversy over the choice of a candidate. DAP had insisted that the candidate should be an Indian from the party but this was rejected by its partners in Barisan Alternatif - PRM, PAS and Keadilan - which eventually nominated Keadilan's Saifudin Nasution Ismail, who won the seat.

This angered the Indian leaders and members in DAP, causing several to resign from the party in protest.

Karpal added that even a small error of judgment from the opposition front could lead to "a loss of deposits in elections".

He also said that being a social scientist does not mean Rustam could write by relying on other people's perceptions.

Spirit of Aidil Fitri

Rustam told malaysiakini that he would not have any problems in apologising, "especially in the spirit of Aidil Fitri", but not for something he has not done.

"If I do so, it will be like admitting that I am a racist," he said.

He, however, added that he will adhere to whatever decision made by BA, if it does call for a leaders' meeting to discuss this matter.

"If the leaders think that I have offended the community, I will have no problem in apologising," he added.

He also commented that as a social scientist, he based his analysis, political impressions and perceptions on any matter from the people's feedback.

"Following this, my article was also based on the perceptions of the people, which I got to know by talking to them," he said.

Not defamatory or negative

He said such perceptions were not defamatory, adding that in any event, he had not made any negative comments on the Chinese community.

Rustam's article which first appeared in Berita Keadilan last Friday and in malaysiakini three days later prompted Karpal, MCA youth chief Ong Tee Keat, deputy secretary-general Liow Tiong Lai, MDP secretary-general Wee Choo Keong and senator Zainuddin Maidin to accuse him of uttering offensive remarks against the Chinese community.

Rustam, on his part, had asked to five to "shut up in shame or apologise" to him.