Ketua bahagian Cheras menyifatkan tindakan ketua Pemuda Umno, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein meminta maaf dalam isu keris sebagai menjatuhkan maruah orang Melayu.

Datuk Syed Ali Al-Habshee berkata, keris adalah lambang orang Melayu dan hak orang Melayu yang perlu dipelihara.

"Hishammuddin mengapa perlu meminta maaf? Ini hak orang Melayu, apa kena minta maaf. Di mana maruah orang Melayu.

"Keris ada dalam bendera Umno. Dalam pertabalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong pun mencium keris. Ini simbol orang Melayu," katanya ketika berucap merasmikan perhimpunan agung khas Umno bahagian Cheras di ibu negara hari ini.

From Malaysiakini.com:

Meng Yee: Hishammuddin's apology for his arrogance and manner in which the keris was waved at each Umno General Assembly, should be followed by the following apologies from these individuals:

• Malacca delegate Hasnoor Sidang Hussein who stated that: 'Umno is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defence of race and religion'. Whose blood is he referring to?

• Umno Youth exco member Azimi Daim, who said 'when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins'. And who exactly are these Malay warriors he is referring to and what do they intend to do?

• Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh, who directed his question at UmnoYouth chief Hishammuddin Hussein: 'Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham when is he going to use it.' What does he mean by 'use it'?

• Razak Idris, Ketua Penerangan Pemuda Umno Terengganu who said that 'Hak orang Melayu tidak boleh dicabar, jika tidak orang Melayu akan mengamok, peristiwa Mei 13 akan berulang yang ianya akan lebih teruk daripada tahun 1969 yang akan menjadikan Kuala Lumpur padang terkukur' Was this a threat?

• Former minister, former Barisan Nasional and Umno secretary-general Mohamad Rahmat who warned that the Malays 'can run amok'

Deputy Minister Najib Razak himself admitted that there were many racial