Ahmad Ismail

Ahmad Ismail is known for controversial actions and remarks made in the fields of politics, business and sports, including the latest controversy in which he uttered incendiary remarks about the Chinese community during and after the Permatang Pauh by-election in August 2008, leading to his suspension by UMNO in September 2008.

In late August 2008, Ahmad Ismail was highlighted over racist remarks uttered during campaigning in a by-election in Permatang Pauh that primarily pitted Barisan Nasional candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah (UMNO) against Pakatan Rakyat candidate Anwar Ibrahim (PKR) for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat.

On 25 August 2008 local Chinese daily Sin Chew Daily reported a speech made by Ahmad Ismail on the evening of 23 August 2008 at Kampung Pelet to campaign for Arif Shah, in which he allegedly stated Malaysian Chinese were "immigrants" and "squatters", and could not have equal rights. In a 6 September statement by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, Ahmad was quoted that he merely uttered the remark based on historical facts and claimed it was not a racist statement as reported by Sin Chew Daily, accusing the paper of misinterpreting him.

In 2008, UMNO imposed a suspension on Ahmad for three years.

However stronger action than had been expected in a bid to soothe growing anger from the Chinese community and among parties in Barisan Nasional ruling coalition. On 12 September 2008 Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng who reported the speech made by Ahmad Ismail, had been arrested under the Internal Security Act at 8.30pm at her home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. The MCA, a component party of the Barisan National, has expressed shock that Ahmad Ismail, who made racist remarks has not been taken to task but reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who wrote about the incident, has been arrested instead. "The perpetrator who vowed to conduct a nationwide roadshow on his remarks without any remorse is still at large," MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said.

Ahmad Ismail was also the director of Popular Profile Sdn Bhd, which the Penang Development Corporation believed had wrongfully taken and kept RM500,000 from the state in a botched land transaction for Bukit Minyak in 1998, before winding up in 2005; Ahmad was believed to have cut links with the company in 1998. A police report was lodged by Penang Development Corporation on 3 September 2008.

In addition to interests in politics and business, Ahmad Ismail was also the president of the Malaysian Sepak Takraw Association. During the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Korat, Thailand, Ahmad led the pullout of Malaysia's sepak takraw team at the last minute.

In 1995, Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd was founded with Ahmad Ismail as its executive chairman. The company was a special purpose vehicle, intended to receive concession to develop the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR), a project which was subsequently delayed by the federal government in 2008 following the 2008 general election. Additionally, a majority stake in Peninsular Metroworks was indirectly linked to Ahmad Ismail: A 55% stake in the company was held in its early years by Nadi Senandung Sdn Bhd, which Ahmad was the director of; the remaining 45% was held by Setegap Bhd and Kumpulan Pinang Holdings Sdn Bhd, the latter a full subsidiary of Yayasan Bumiputra Pulau Pinang Bhd .

Datuk Ahmad bin Ismail (born 1955), is a Malaysian politician and a member of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), serving as the chief of UMNO's Bukit Bendera (Penang Hill) division in the state of Penang.