He became prominent in 2006 for his controversial remarks at the UMNO Annual General Assembly as a delegate from Malacca on the subject of racial issues.
In the course of his remarks, Hasnoor stated that non-Malay citizens needed to be grateful for having been granted citizenship at independence under the Malaysian social contract.
"[2] Hasnoor's remarks formed one third of the three disputed speeches made; another one was that by UMNO Youth Information Chief Azimi Daim, who said "when tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins", while the third was made by a delegate from Perak, Hashim Suboh, who referred to UMNO Youth Chief and Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's act of brandishing the kris (Malay dagger): "Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris.
Leader of the Opposition, Lim Kit Siang from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), said that "The speeches have upset non-Malays and they are feeling insecure.
Lim Keng Yaik, President of the Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Malaysian People's Movement), a major party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition government led by UMNO, also expressed worry about "where these sentiments will lead to".
[4] Soon after, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, President of UMNO and the Prime Minister, announced that three unidentified speakers at the assembly had been officially reprimanded for their statements.