This follows Khairul Azwan’s warning to the Chinese of a possible backlash if they continued to shun Barisan Nasional (BN).

Khairul said this might result in Putrajaya being pressured to give less attention to Chinese vernacular schools or abolish such institutions completely.

In a statement, MCA Youth secretary-general Leong Kim Soon said Khairul’s speech, made at the Umno Youth delegates’ meeting yesterday, showed the latter was unaware that Prime Minister Najib Razak had already pledged his support for Chinese schools to be maintained.

Leong pointed out that Najib, who is also Umno president, had at the 63rd MCA general meeting said that the government would work closely with the Chinese-based party to build more Chinese type schools, or SJKCs.

“If Khairul does not understand what the prime minister meant, he and other Youth members can ask the premier,” he said, adding that Khairul showed little respect for Najib with his comments.

“Umno should take action on him so that he can stop making extreme statements about the Chinese.”