GEORGE TOWN: The feud between Penang Gerakan and Datuk Ahmad Ismail, the former Bukit Bendera Umno division chief, is unlikely to end soon with Gerakan brushing off Ahmad's demands for an apology.

Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said in a statement on Tuesday Ahmad's demand of an apology to the Bukit Bendera Umno division as a precondition for future cooperation between the two parties was not in tune with the prime minister's 1Malaysia concept.

Gerakan severed its ties with Ahmad, who headed the Bukit Bendera Umno division, after he openly criticised Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon for berating him.

During the campaign for the Permatang Pauh by-election in August 2008, Ahmad had described the Chinese in the country as "squatters". Koh's criticism of Ahmad instigated some Umno members to tear up the former's picture and stomp on it at a press conference later.

Ahmad was subsequently suspended for three years by Umno, but his suspension was lifted recently, and the Umno Bukit Bendera divisional leaders had resigned en bloc to pave the way for his return.

"Ahmad's statement and actions are definitely against Prime Minister and Umno president (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak's 1Malaysia concept and Parti Gerakan's multi-racial ideology. Him asking Gerakan to apologise shows clearly he is still living on a ‘mindset of racial dreams'," Teng said.

"The question of Penang Gerakan apologising to him does not arise at all".