Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia:-
Hishamudin Hussein, UMNO YOuth Chief, apologised to all Malaysians over a "Keris-Waving Incident’.
Tradition dictated that in the past, the UMNO Youth Chief, started the General Assembly by unsheathing the Keris, kissing its blade and then sheath it again. The Keris is then placed on a wooden pedestal.
In 2005 and 2006, Hishamudin who was UMNO Youth Chief, unsheath the Keris, kissed its naked blade and then sheathed it again. He was also seen waving the Keris* before putting it down.
There were many issues that year,[2005]. Some of the issues were racial in nature and as a whole, the Youth Wing of many National Front’s component parties were quite edgy. When the incident was repeated in 2006, despite warnings by several UMNO leaders, it caused an uproar.
Furthermore many members of the UMNO Youth Wing defended this action by Hishamudin. They repeated that the Keris is a heritage of the Malays and nobody should questioned their deeds.
The Keris is a short dagger with its usual wavy blade and very popular among the Malays. It is also a weapon of war and in olden times were carried around by Malay men. This is an amost mystical symbol of Malay chivalry and virility.
" I apologised if this incident has offended anybody. I apologise to the non-Malays if they felt afraid of the symbol." Said an emotional Hishamudin after attending a weekly cabinet meeting
Even though acknowledging the Keris as a symbol of Malay Heritage, many observers around town reiterated that it should never be raised again.