MCA-DAP debate: Honesty wanted
MCA and DAP should face their 'biggest fears' and talk about them openly, say analysts.
PETALING JAYA: MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng must be more honest and open with themselves when they face off in the much-anticipated debate tomorrow, analysts say.They said that both Chua and Lim, who is also Penang Chief Minister, would likely skirt around touchy issues in the current political climate.
“What I would like to see is what we are not likely to see – honesty on the part of both politicians,” said political scientist Ong Kian Ming of UCSI University.
He said that an uncomfortable truth, for both parties, is how much bigger and more powerful DAP is within Pakatan Rakyat compared to MCA in the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“MCA, the second largest party in BN, is obviously constrained because it is (playing) second fiddle to Umno. The reality is that DAP has more MPs and state assembly representatives than MCA.
“Given the DAP presence in Sabah and Sarawak, it now has 29 MPs and 83 assemblymen whereas MCA has 15 MPs and 32 state representativess,” Ong said.
“Chua would not like to acknowledge it (DAP’s political strength), but at the same time, Guan Eng may not want to publicly admit that the more powerful DAP is, the more afraid Malay voters are to support Pakatan,” he added.
Ong said DAP, which is likely to continue growing, is now doing all it can to shed its “Chinese chauvinist” image, though he noted that MCA is not harping on this issue as it is Chinese-based itself.
Political impact
However, he said that the debate was something that everyone wants to see and is an “important part of the normalisation of the democratic process in Malaysia”.
“What people want is more exchanges of ideas during debates between our key national leaders. The Malaysian political landscape is becoming increasingly competitive. So this is good,” he said.
Ong also said that he expects Chua to focus more on the political impact of the Chinese vote (for or against the BN), while Lim would try not to talk solely about one particular community.
“I think the challenge for Chua is to convince the audience, who will primarily be Chinese, that MCA is still relevant to them. For Lim, his challenge would be to not speak only about the Chinese community,” he said.
Ong said that it remains to be seen what the audience will take away from the debate, though it may not necessarily bring about any solid outcome.
“Debates are about winning over votes, but hopefully by trying to argue from a certain political position, we may have something substantial which would have some bearing on policies. And people want them (Chua and Lim) to be accountable for what they say during the debate,” Ong said.
Meanwhile, political observer Khoo Kay Peng said that both MCA and DAP must face their fears and openly talk about their respective relationships with Umno and PAS.
“They should be talking about how to do away with racial politics and how MCA can represent all Malaysians. And DAP should be talking about its difficulty in managing PAS and its extremist views,” he said.
Misplaced topic
Khoo also expressed disappointment at the topic of the debate – “Is the two-party system becoming a two-race system?” – saying that “it’s not something you can debate intellectually”.
He said that the topic was “misplaced and will not bring out anything substantial or beneficial,” adding that “race polemics is not going to help” anyone.
“Are they trying to imply that if the Chinese voters were to vote against the government, they would not get any government representation? Like how MCA threatened to stay away from government positions if it does worse than in 2008?” said Khoo, adding that the topic was slanted towards the MCA.
“MCA should be looking forward and should be asking itself why are the Chinese voting against the government. MCA should work towards something the Chinese can accept, even if it is a choice of whether to remain in the BN or move forward.”
“You can’t say it will lead to a two-race system as BN does not enjoy the full support of the Malays and the opposition does not have the full support of the Chinese,” Khoo said.
He said the debate should touch on the economy and how Malaysians should unite with better governance.
The debate, which will be in Mandarin, will take place at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel in Kuala Lumpur from 5pm to 6pm. It will be carried live by Astro AEC.
The debate is part of the forum on “The Chinese at a political crossroads in the next general election” which will be held earlier in the morning.
Also read:
More seats for Chua-Lim faceoff
At crossroads – MCA or Chinese community?
As temperatures rise in anticipation of tomorrow’s showdown between DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, some have criticised the debate titled ‘Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads’, as being racially biased.
COMMENT Has DAP's Lim Guan Eng, by agreeing to debate MCA's Dr Chua Soi Lek tomorrow, unwittingly walked into a trap?
This suspicion has popped up even as the organisers of the debate reiterated that its title remains the same that was agreed to when the debate was first mooted: ‘Is the two-party system becoming a two-race system?'
This suspicion has popped up even as the organisers of the debate reiterated that its title remains the same that was agreed to when the debate was first mooted: ‘Is the two-party system becoming a two-race system?'
Open letter to Chua Soi Lek
For almost 50 long years, many Chinese Malaysians blindly gave their vote to the MCA. With their support, the Alliance/BN controlled Parliament and undermined democracy, points out Tota ahead of the Great Debate between Choi Soi Lek and Lim Guan Eng.
The Great Debate: Lim Guan Eng (left) vs Chua Soi Lek
Open letter to Chua Soi Lek
You always claim that the MCA is the defender of ‘Chinese rights’ and that the party has done a great deal for the community. Your party’s record shows otherwise. The MCA has been in the Alliance/BN since independence, but politically and economically the position of Chinese Malaysians has nose-dived because the MCA representatives in the Cabinet and state governments have behaved like political eunuchs. Their behaviour shows how successfully emasculated the MCA is.
After independence, Umno has successfully colonised the country and MCA has aided and abetted in this by sticking with Umno in spite of this. Currently, the MCA is helping Umno in oppressing people, creating fear among the people and destroying national unity. We are worse off now than under the British. The British allowed Umno to demonstrate against the Malayan Union. They did not fire tear gas or chemical-laced water through cannons at the demonstrators. Under the British, we had local council elections. Now Umno, aided by MCA, is denying us this basic right.
What were the cabinet positions MCA held in the Tunku government and what are the Cabinet positions MCA holds now? You often talk about the Social Contract. The Reid Commission is the Social Contract and some unwritten gentlemen’s agreements. The MCA aided and abetted Umno in shredding that Constitution, thus destroying the Social Contract.
As to the gentlemen’s agreements, one example was the governorship/CM arrangement for Malacca – if the Governor was non-Malay, the CM’s post was to be held by a Malay and vice versa. Tunku appointed an ethnic Chinese as Governor and he was the first and last. Now Umno cronies hold both positions.
The MCA supported every amendment to the Constitution, thus nullifying the most sacrosanct provision to keep Malaysia a democratic, progressive secular state. The ISA, the OSA, the Sedition Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act, and the Universities and University Colleges Act took away civil rights and liberties and violated human rights.
The MCA supported Umno when the Constitutional provision of 1:2 rural/urban weightage in delineating constituencies was amended, thus creating a lop-sided electoral system in which Barisan could win less than 50 per cent of the popular vote but still grab 80 per cent of the seats at state and federal levels. Most Chinese Malaysians are urban dwellers and their vote is perhaps less than 1/20 of the rural vote.
For example, Putrajaya has fewer than 7000 registered voters but Kit Siang’s constituency of Ipoh Timur has more than 76000 while Kapar in Selangor has 112000. And yet you proclaim together with Umno that our elections are free and fair.
The MCA supported Umno in suspending local council elections in the 1960s when an emergency was declared. Urban Chinese Malaysian dwellers are deprived of their constitutional right to elect their local government representatives. An MCA goon is on record as having said that local council elections cannot be held because rural people cannot participate! The 1957 Constitution provided for a 2:1 Malay/non-Malay ratio in the civil service. The MCA supported Umno in amending that constitutional provision, thus creating an almost ethnic Malay domination of the civil service.
The MCA supported Mahathir, a real half-past six PM, when the Constitution was amended to set up Syariah courts. This half-past six leader was later to say that he was lucky to get away with that amendment. The MCA cabinet ministers behaved once again like political eunuchs. Look at the problems this has created for non-Muslims in conversion cases. Soi Lek, have you heard of the Lina Joy case? Now some religious lunatics are claiming that the civil courts are subordinate to the Syariah courts! Why have you not had the courage to condemn such claims? Where in the world is the federal constitution subordinate to state enactments as in Malaysia?
The MCA supported the NEP, which was successfully hijacked by the Umnoputras. Through Ali-Baba businesses, as argued by many scholars, Malaysian companies, GLCs and many others have caused a horrendous capital outflow at the expense of people’s welfare and a just distribution of economic wealth to the rakyat.
Umno has assigned you a job – to attack hudud law and frighten the Chinese into believing that hudud law would be implemented if Pakatan Rakyat came into power and that there would be a Pas PM in such an eventuality. Your statements on hudud law are indeed sacrilegious but it is okay with Umno!
You often talk about power-sharing in the government. If it were so, what was the necessity for MCA cabinet ministers, together with other non-Malay ministers, to send a memorandum to Abdullah Badawi?
When Umno took offence, MCA ministers ran for cover and then went on bended knee, apologising profusely and begging for forgiveness! So much for power-sharing in BN. Lim Keng Yaik once said that “the coalition partners were beggars”. This is the truth. So, Soi Lek, do not kid yourself.
Very often, important government policy decisions have been announced at Umno Supreme Council meetings. Isn’t it true that what the Umno Supreme Council decides, the Cabinet approves and Parliament rubber stamps?
You claim to fight for ‘Chinese rights’. Very often, you say that the government must build more Chinese schools and train more Chinese teachers. This is ridiculous! What is the ethnic Chinese representation in the civil service, the police, the army, navy and air force, the diplomatic corps, and the judiciary? You have settled for tokenism in all areas of national life.
The Deputy Minister of Education is from the MCA. I consider him as dead as a dodo in his job. What was he doing when the Islamo-fascists wrote the school history text books which contain so many irregularities? The Education Ministry is the most racist ministry of all. There are no non-Malay directors in any of its various divisions. There are no non-Malay Chief Education Officers in any state. There are 20 public universities and all VC’s are Malays. There are four deputy VCs in each university. Out of 80 deputy VCs, one may find one or two non-Malays. Within each university, most of the deans are Malays. For example, at USM, the ‘apex university’, there are 27 schools and only one dean is a non-Malay.
So, Soi Lek, your claim that if Chinese Malaysians vote for the MCA, their position in the government will be strengthened is a black lie. For almost 50 long years, Chinese Malaysians had blindly given their vote to the MCA. With their support, the Alliance/BN maintained its two thirds majority in Parliament. This majority has been misused to destroy the Constitution and all independent institutions and literally set up a police state. Even Mahathir has said so.
You have called upon the DAP to emulate the MCA. Of course, the DAP will not set up a multi-purpose company or deposit-taking institutions to cheat poor Chinese Malaysians of millions of their hard-earned money. When Lim Guan Eng set an example of a RM100 award in appreciation of senior citizens, he began a trend that was emulated by MCA and other component parties. Good that the MCA is emulating DAP!
With regard to your forthcoming debate with LGE, you have already adopted a defeatist attitude by saying that he is young, strong and a better debater. You took a cheap shot in calling him a street fighter. Guan Eng has too much finesse and is too classy to disrespect you, given your track record.
When Shabery Cheek debated Anwar, the mainstream media hailed him as a great orator, but he was frothing at the mouth and appeared to have forgotten his handkerchief. I would advise you to bring a towel to the debate.
Good luck, Soi Lek.
About Chua Soi Lek
Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek famously known by his alias Chua Kin Sheng was born on 2nd January 1947 in the province of Johor Malaysia. By profession he is a politician and spearheads the Malaysian Chinese association.Dr. Chua Soi Lek has a spouse named Datin Seri Wong Sek Hin and is father to three children. Before venturing into the world of politics and being associated with Malaysian Chinese Association Dr. Chua trained in psychology and was a practicing psychiatrist.
Dr. Chua Soi Lek also served as the health minister of Malaysia for a period of four years i.e. from 2004 to 2008. He was serving as a medical officer at Batu Pahat hospital in 1977 when he laid foundation of his own clinic. After operating that clinic for 12 years he sold it to become a full fledged politician and member of MCA.
Political Achievements
Dr. Chua Soi Lek’s first political breakthrough came in 1986 when he was elected as a state assemblyman for Penggaram, Johor. His campaign was financed by MCA who also gave him the ticket to compete in the election. He continued to get re-elected and serve in the similar capacity for a total of 18 years. After that he took on the role of state executive councilor. In 2004 he successfully contested for the Labis parliamentary seat under the auspices of the Barisan Nasional coalition. Further milestones in his political career followed that victory when the then prime minister Tun Abudullah Ahmad Badawi inducted him into the Malaysian cabinet under the capacity of minister of health.
Dr. Chua Soi Lek was further appointed to positions of high importance and prominence throughout the remainder of his career. Some of the most noteworthy designations that he held were the position of Member of Parliament for Labis, Batu phat Malaysian Chinese Association chairman, Johor MCA state liaison committee chairman and MCA vice president.
His illustrious political career came to an abrupt end on January 2, 2008 when an astonishing sex scandal involving him made headlines. This prompted him to resign from all public and political held responsibilities.
Sex Scandal involvement
Dr. Chua Soi Lek confessed of being the person in a DVD engaged in sexual acts with a young woman known only as a “personal friend”. The said DVD was widely circulated in Muar and other jurisdiction of Johor by an unknown person. The clips were reportedly captured via hidden wireless cameras in a hotel room.
Dr. Chua Soi Lek stated that he had no part in making or distribution of the particular DVD. A day after this incident i.e. on 2 January 2008 during a press conference, he tendered his resignation from all posts that he held which were Member of Parliament for Labis, Vice president of MCA and Minister of Health.
Dr. Chua Soi Lek attributed his fall to his devotion to work as health minister and MCA vice president. He stated that his dedication made his political opponents to grow doubtful of him.
Deputy Presidency of MCA
MCA was victorious over a measly 19 seats out of 40 they were in competition for during 2008 general elections. Leaders within the MCA and former leaders which included Dr. Chua blamed the poor performance on president Ong Ka Tin and protested that he resign from the post.
Dr. Chua Soi Lek made a successful return to politics in later half of 2008 when he contested and won Batu Pahat chairman post without facing any competition. Concentrating on this good omen he then contested for the deputy vice presidency of MCA defeating three opponents namely Ong Ka Chaun, Donald Lim and Lee Hak Teik.
Even then he was ignored and shunned out of MCA leadership in Johor jurisdiction by Tee Keat and could only manage to get appointed to the position of Government Policy monitoring bureau. Dr. Chua sex scandal finally caught up with him when in August 2009 he was booted out of the party by MCA disciplinary committee.
2009 General Meeting
Dr. Chua Soi Lek’s supporters arranged an unusual general meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to confront Ong Tee Keat’s presidency and replacing him with Dr. Chua Soi Lek as a member and deputy president.
This even took place on 10 October, and resulted in a multitude of resolutions being crafted to challenge the act of Dr. Chua’s detachment from MCA and removal from deputy vice presidency. Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat faced a vote of no confidence and 14 votes were cast against him. Other landmark event was passing of a resolution which negated the booting of Dr. Chua, Ong and Chua both reached a compromise and agreed to a “greater unity plan” which saw them setting their differences aside for the time being. Despite this some innermost committee members spearheaded by Liow Tiong Lai which were previously allied with Ong, insisted on initiation of fresh elections.
MCA Presidency
In the first half of March 2010, Dr. Chua Soi Lek accompanied by his followers in the Central Committee and other members led by Liow Tiong Lai collectively resigned. According to the party’s constitution the resignation of two thirds members automatically constituted the holding of fresh elections. Chua ran for presidency against two opponents Ong Tee Keat and last president Ong Ka ting. Chua was victorious in this hotly contested election while his arch opponent Tee Keat finished in third place. After assuming presidency Chua has focused his efforts on rebuilding the MCA image.
Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek
The Official blog of the President of the Malaysian Chinese Association
February 19, 2012
FEB 19 — I think it is time everyone gave the MCA some recognition for their achievements and what they have done for Malaysians.
So here is the roll call of high achievers in MCA:
Tan Koon Swan: in 1986, he was sentenced to two years’ jail by the Singapore High Court for criminal breach of trust relating to the collapse of Pan Electric Industries.
Ling Liong Sik: former party president and long-time minister has been charged with cheating and misleading the government in the Port Klang Free Zone scandal.
Chan Kong Choy: former party president and minister charged with several counts of deceiving former PM Abdullah Badawi into approving deals linked to the PKFZ.
Chua Soi Lek: current party president who resigned in 2008 after being featured in a sex VCD with a woman who was not his wife.
Kee Yong Wee: deputy trade minister was jailed for his role in the Komuda, the deposit-taking cooperative, in which the cash deposits of many ordinary Chinese members were found to have been misappropriated to save companies owned by some MCA leaders. The total loss was estimated to be RM3.6 billion.
Wang Choon Wing: deputy minister was jailed in 1987 with criminal breach of trust in a deposit-taking cooperatives scandal.
* In between alleged criminal activities and indulging in their own fantasies, the party that claims to represent Malaysian Chinese has also scored other achievements, namely, leadership tussles.
There was Michael Chen who left MCA after losing to Lee San Choon; the first Team and Team B battle between Neo Yee Pan and Tan Koon Swan; there was the fallout between Ling Liong Sik and Lee Kim Sai; and the fallout between Lim Ah Lek and Ling, which resulted in the second Team A and Team B fight. And then there was the third Team A and Team B fight between Chua Soi Lek and Ong Tee Keat.
All in all, the MCA has achieved much. Just not sure for whom.
* Tan Teck Huat reads The Malaysian Insider.
So here is the roll call of high achievers in MCA:
Tan Koon Swan: in 1986, he was sentenced to two years’ jail by the Singapore High Court for criminal breach of trust relating to the collapse of Pan Electric Industries.
Ling Liong Sik: former party president and long-time minister has been charged with cheating and misleading the government in the Port Klang Free Zone scandal.
Chan Kong Choy: former party president and minister charged with several counts of deceiving former PM Abdullah Badawi into approving deals linked to the PKFZ.
Chua Soi Lek: current party president who resigned in 2008 after being featured in a sex VCD with a woman who was not his wife.
Kee Yong Wee: deputy trade minister was jailed for his role in the Komuda, the deposit-taking cooperative, in which the cash deposits of many ordinary Chinese members were found to have been misappropriated to save companies owned by some MCA leaders. The total loss was estimated to be RM3.6 billion.
Wang Choon Wing: deputy minister was jailed in 1987 with criminal breach of trust in a deposit-taking cooperatives scandal.
* In between alleged criminal activities and indulging in their own fantasies, the party that claims to represent Malaysian Chinese has also scored other achievements, namely, leadership tussles.
There was Michael Chen who left MCA after losing to Lee San Choon; the first Team and Team B battle between Neo Yee Pan and Tan Koon Swan; there was the fallout between Ling Liong Sik and Lee Kim Sai; and the fallout between Lim Ah Lek and Ling, which resulted in the second Team A and Team B fight. And then there was the third Team A and Team B fight between Chua Soi Lek and Ong Tee Keat.
All in all, the MCA has achieved much. Just not sure for whom.
* Tan Teck Huat reads The Malaysian Insider.
218 Debate: Dr.Chua Soi Lek vs Lim Guan Eng
All eyes on showdown between Soi Lek and Guan Eng
The big Chinese debate (UPDATED)
UPDATED
Apparently, it was DAP's Lim Guan Eng who requested for the debate to be conducted in Mandarin.
Here is an excerpt of today's report by pro-Pakatan Malaysian Insider -
“There is nothing racial about it; it’s a national conference consisting of many topics and issues that cover all ethnic groups,” Asian Strategic Leadership Institute (ASLI) director Datuk Michael Yeoh said at a press conference here.
“It (the conference) looks at [the changing of our political structure] and concerns all issues ... (that) every Malaysian should be concerned about,” he added.
Yeoh said the debate, themed “Chinese at a Crossroads. Is the 2 Party System Becoming a 2 Race System?”, was originally to be conducted in English, but was changed to Mandarin following Lim’s request.
“Guan Eng asked, why is a Chinese topic not conducted in [Mandarin]? So we have decided the whole debate will be in [Mandarin],” Asli senior vice-president Ng Yeen Seen explained.
“The (rest of the) conference will be conducted in English, but if the floor wishes to ask questions in [Mandarin], then the speakers will use Mandarin to answer,” she added, saying that most speakers are bilingual.
ORIGINAL POSTING
As far as I am concerned, MCA macho man Dr Chua Soi Lek had already won the tommorrow's debate against DAP handsome boy Lim Guan Eng.
Why? Because Guan Eng, in his unbridled enthusiasm, had in the first place agreed for the debate being in Mandarin, which to me is a big mistake for him.
To me, he had fell into the trap of acknowledging that DAP is a Chinese party and not a multi-racial one as claimed. Soi Lek on the other hand should be ok with the language being used as MCA has no problem of itself being a Chinese-based party in a multi-racial BN coalition.
Ok, just look at the topic they are going to debate on - “Is the two-party system becoming a two-race system?”. What la Guan Eng, you want to debate on something like that in Mandrin? You sure lose one on the perception front.
Trust me, the Chinese do not want a two-race system and that is exactly why the smart MCA PR people choose the subject. In all probability, the two-race system is what we will have in this country after the next general election. The Bumiputera (and other races) on one side and the Chinese on the other. It is already happening in Sarawak, and that is exactly what DAP is banking on to win more parliamentary seats, especially in Johor. The Chinese will be at the losing end in such a system.
Guan Eng , you should had at least insisted for the debate to be in Bahasa Kebangsaan. Now you are reduced to promoting and defending the Chineseness of DAP. Very damaging liao....especially for your Pakatan friends.
Despite this debate being the hotest topic among the Chinese community at the moment, the other Malaysians do not seems to be really interested in it. It has become a Chinese thingy. They will say "Ya la, MCA are Chinese, DAP also Chinese. Let them kung fu each other lah."
Yup, just look at the way the Chinese papers and Chinese-owned Star promoting the debate and then just look at how the Malay and other English papers covering it. Very contrast.
Guan Eng cannot carrying around bluffing people that DAP is a multi-racial party anymore after this debate. That I am sure, especially as far as the non-Chinese are concerned. I know that Guan Eng is a bit childish and not so smart, but to fall into Soi Lek's trap like that, I actually feel a bit sympathetic towards him. Really, I am not kidding you.
Probably Guan Eng has now realised his mistake. That is why he has been calling for follow-up debates with Soi Lek in Bahasa Malaysia and English after this. But really la Guan Eng, it's too late already. Finish the tomorrow's debate first ok?, then talk about trying to get another date with Soi Lek for damage control. Hopefully Soi Lek will be merciful and let Guan Eng have another go.
Oh, btw, I also think Soi Lek will make minch meat out of Guan Eng at the debate. Being a more seasoned politician who knows his stuff very well, Soi Lek will be too much of an opponent for Guan Eng. Well, the last big debate Guan Eng had was with the jaded Gerakan's Koh Tsu Koon and it was more or less a draw. Koh is not even in the same league as Soi Lek. If Soi Lek can survive the sex video scandal, what lah Guan Eng to him.
Dr Chua Soi Lek to debate Lim Guan Eng on 18 Feb 2012
MCA HQ, 9 Dec – The stage is now all set in what seems to be the debate of the year within the Chinese community, i.e. MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek will debate DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng at Berjaya Times Square Hotel to close the Chinese at the Political Crossroads at the Next General Elections forum jointly organized by MCA’s think tank i.e. the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP) and Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI).
The Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak has accepted MCA’s invitation to officiate the forum which commences at 9.30a.m. on Saturday, 18 Feb 2012, of which our party extends our thanks.
Invitations to the leaders of Chinese-based political parties e.g. Gerakan, SUPP, LDP and DAP have been accepted of which Dato’ Peter Chin Fah Kui, President of SUPP will be among the speakers.
“I wish to thank Lim Guan Eng for accepting our invitation for a debate to be held at 5:00 p.m. on that day which will be for one hour between him and me. It will be conducted in English or Mandarin depending on the questions asked,” explained Soi Lek at a press conference held at Wisma MCA upon conclusion of the party’s Central Committee meeting.
According to the MCA President, the debate is about the Chinese dilemma in the coming general elections.
As agreed with the organisers, MCA does not want to turn the forum into politics. This is a serious forum to discuss the future of the Chinese community in the coming general elections.
When asked if the debate will be telecast live, Soi Lek informed that “we are trying to discuss with the related television stations if the debate can be telecast live as they already have scheduled slots.”
The forum is open to the public but due to the venue’s limited seating capacity, the organisers are trying to accommodate members of the parties invited and others.
-MCA online-
The Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak has accepted MCA’s invitation to officiate the forum which commences at 9.30a.m. on Saturday, 18 Feb 2012, of which our party extends our thanks.
Invitations to the leaders of Chinese-based political parties e.g. Gerakan, SUPP, LDP and DAP have been accepted of which Dato’ Peter Chin Fah Kui, President of SUPP will be among the speakers.
“I wish to thank Lim Guan Eng for accepting our invitation for a debate to be held at 5:00 p.m. on that day which will be for one hour between him and me. It will be conducted in English or Mandarin depending on the questions asked,” explained Soi Lek at a press conference held at Wisma MCA upon conclusion of the party’s Central Committee meeting.According to the MCA President, the debate is about the Chinese dilemma in the coming general elections.
As agreed with the organisers, MCA does not want to turn the forum into politics. This is a serious forum to discuss the future of the Chinese community in the coming general elections.
When asked if the debate will be telecast live, Soi Lek informed that “we are trying to discuss with the related television stations if the debate can be telecast live as they already have scheduled slots.”
The forum is open to the public but due to the venue’s limited seating capacity, the organisers are trying to accommodate members of the parties invited and others.
-MCA online-
Malaysian Chinese Association Headquarters
8th Floor, Wisma MCA, 163,
Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.
Telephone: 03-2161 8044?? Fax: 03-2161 9772
Email: info@mca.org.my
Soi Lek on managing Malaysia
By Deborah Loh | 13 September 2010 |
(Pic courtesy of MCA)
Chua talks about how he views this challenge in this second and final part of an interview with The Nut Graph conducted at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur on 6 Sept 2010.
TNG: Following up from your speech at the MCA’s Chinese Economic Congress – if your suggestions and resolutions can make Malaysia competitive, what, then, is needed to make these things happen?
Chua Soi Lek: First, the political will to change. All political parties in the world are the same. After too long in power, complacency sets in, and there is often abuse of the system and corruption. So [political will is needed to change], and I believe that development in a multiracial country is not a zero-sum game. When there is economic growth, everybody will benefit.
But in any society there will be some who benefit more than others. So affirmative action is still required. It should be based on needs and merits. If these can be placed in order, then we can liberalise the various sectors. And I specifically mentioned oil and gas, and telecommunications. These are three big sectors that need to be liberalised to make the economy more competitive, and to attract foreign participation and local participation.
Did you have feedback that Chinese Malaysians involved in these three sectors are being disadvantaged?
No, I don’t have the figures. I’m not just talking about the Chinese, I’m talking about all communities in Malaysia. Oil and gas are monopolised by Petronas. Telecommunications is monopolised by a few big players, foreign and local. So we need to open up.
Is there strong enough Malay leadership to push this through?
To be fair, I think [Datuk Seri] Najib [Razak] has that quality. He is a good listener, he’s bright, he’s got a good memory, he’s committed and he’s fair. Now the question is political will to change.
His political will or that of Umno’s?
His and that of his colleagues within the party to respond to a changed political scenario after March 2008.
And if such political will is slow in coming, what should parties like yours and other BN components do?
That’s why we’ve become more vocal. We just want to make our views known.
Is Umno‘s leadership doing enough to distance the party from Perkasa?
Mahathir
If Umno is unable to successfully distance itself from Perkasa, what are the consequences for national politics?
The Chinese [Malaysians] have to be very clear that there is no way we can create a small China in Malaysia. We all have to accept the fact that we live in this multiracial society, whether you like it or not.
And in order to make this work, no government in power would take away the privileges enjoyed by Malay [Malaysians] right now. No one. [Datuk Seri] Anwar [Ibrahim] has never really stood up to say he would reject Malay special privileges. Mana ada? And I don’t think DAP would dare to demand it either.
But the Chinese [Malaysians] are all hoping. The Chinese community’s expectation is that if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power, it will remove special privileges. I don’t think this will [happen]. But because [DAP] never said [that it will actually remove special privileges], the Chinese expect it. This is a case of “nothing said is better than said” by DAP. So what I’m telling the Chinese community is, we have to accept the political reality in this country that it will [always] be a balancing game. Balancing the needs of all the races.
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali
The balancing game is for Umno to take care of the Malays, to take care of the Chinese, Indians and other minorities. To me, Perkasa is the minority of the minority, you quote me on this please. Only the Chinese get very excited over Perkasa, and because [Perkasa] knows they excite the Chinese and the media, they’re getting a lot of attention. They will continue to speak so that they will have a platform of their own. And we are all walking into that trap. The best way to deal with them is to ignore them.
Doesn’t Umno employ the same tactic in rousing Malay Malaysian support? Because you’ve noted in your speech at the Kedah MCA convention on 6 Aug 2010 that Umno has become conservative in recent years to compete with PAS.
I won’t say that Umno is becoming like Perkasa, that’s not fair.
But you said they have become more conservative…
Conservative in the sense that they become more religiously sensitive so that PAS cannot be seen as [having] the exclusive monopoly on Islam.
If Umno’s religious conservatism continues, what’s the consequences of that for component parties and national politics?
We must learn to co-exist. Umno’s religious conservatism will never, never be on par with PAS.
You say the public shouldn’t give the Pakatan Rakyat a chance to form the federal government as they would continue bickering over hudud law. But what about the fact that the BN in Terengganu has not done anything to remove hudud law that the PAS state government approved in 2002? Shouldn’t this be something that the MCA should push for, for the sake of consistency?
No. I won’t be pushing … You cannot implement hudud law at state level until you amend the Federal Constitution. So why are you pushing something which is a no-go? I’m very focused. I won’t want to waste time on something that’s a no-go. And MCA would definitely object to any implementation of the hudud law, simple as that.
Are you personally for a secular state?
This is definitely a secular state as provided for in the constitution.
That would be a contrarian view to some conservatives in Umno who want an Islamic state as well. Since the MCA is Umno’s colleague in the BN, how can you then convince Chinese Malaysian voters to support MCA-BN?
The Chinese do not understand the difference between an Islamic state propounded by PAS with hudud law, and what [we have now as] a secular state. We insist that [this] is a secular state. [There's no need to] talk every day about Mahathir‘s pronouncement. We should not be carrying the baggage of what our previous leaders have said.
Chua among MCA delegates in 2008
Some would say that Islamisation is already happening right now. For example, some parents complain that it is happening in schools.
No, that’s not true. Islam is the official religion. [It's] whether the Chinese can accept what they have now, compared to what they will have if PAS comes to power. [If Pakatan Rakyat] comes to power, DAP, because of the system of cabinet and the numbers game, will not be able to check PAS. DAP will be powerless. Because in this country, it’s the prime minister who calls the shots.
With Malaysia Day coming, and to close this interview, what’s the way forward for Malaysia?
The way forward is that we must know how to co-exist in a multiracial country. Without harmony, whatever great programme there is will come to nothing. Any party that wants to come to power in this country must know how to manage the complexity of managing a diverse population, and that’s not an easy thing.
See part one: MCA speaks loudly, but will anybody listen?
Soi Lek’s impossible dream
Since the March 2008 general election, there has been a taxonomic group of very educated, progressive, professional and youthful politicians in the DAP, led by the relatively young but veteran political maverick Lim Guan Eng. The highly intellectual and articulate young elected representatives of the DAP are making waves in Parliament and at the various state assemblies, as well as in the public arena, where the battle for the hearts and minds of the people is taking place.
Comment By Thomas Lee Seng Hock
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has appealed to the Chinese to review their perception of the party and reevaluate its past and present contributions, especially on matters affecting the community.
In an apparent desperate endeavour to try to redeem whatever remains of the party’s credibility, integrity and authenticity among the Chinese, Chua claims indirectly that the community has never rejected the party, but just went uncontrollably overboard in voting for a strong opposition in the last general election.
In an interview with Malaysiakini on Wednesday 8 June 2011, Chua claims that the Chinese want some representatives in the government to articulate their frustrations, and also want a strong opposition to keep a check on the government, but “sometimes, when they do this balancing act, they go haywire.”
Chua claims that, deep down, the Chinese still want to be represented in the Barisan Nasional government, but since the community could not coordinate among themselves, they had ended up with more elected representatives in the opposition.
“In their heart, they said: ‘Oh, we want to have a stronger opposition'. But in the end, everybody voted for the opposition, resulting in nobody in the government,” he said.
In other words, Chua thinks that the results of the last general election, when the MCA was totally wiped out in Penang and sent packing in Selangor, Perak and elsewhere, are merely a freak electoral caprice and do not reflect the actual sentiment of the Chinese community.
During the last general election in March 2008, the MCA won only 15 of the 40 parliamentary seats it contested and succeeded in merely 31 of the 90 state seats, losing them mainly to the DAP. The MCA was totally wiped out in Penang, losing every seat it contested at both federal and state level.
Chua, apparently still in a reverie, thinks that the MCA still has a soft spot in the heart of the community, and that the party would bounce back into favour with the Chinese community at the next general election.
He cited various so-called achievements of the party, claiming credit for getting more federal funding for Chinese primary schools, getting better recognition for the United Examination Certificate of the Chinese independent schools, and helping to develop mutual recognition of university degrees between Malaysia and China.
Chua may think that the Chinese are fools for buying his so-called achievements. Any person with a bit of common sense knows that had not the alternative coalition of the DAP, PAS and PKR caused a massive electoral cataclysm at the last general election, the Umno-controlled Barisan Nasional government would not have granted such concessions to allow the MCA a safe-face reprieve to claim credit for them.
Anyway, the matters Chua claims that the MCA managed to “fight” for the Chinese are matters of essential rights which the community must be accorded without any need to ask or bargain for. To say to say that the community needs the MCA to negotiate for them is to admit the lack of power of the party within the ruling Barisan Nasional administration and its failure in being the true community representative in the government. Its position and relevance in the government are certainly suspect.
And in order to project the MCA in good light, Chua resorted to a smear campaign against the state administrations controlled by the alternative coalition Pakatan Rakyat, especially Penang and Selangor.
Chua cashed in on the current land disputes in Selangor involving the Sungai Buloh nursery and the Kampung Kerandang land, and alleged that the Pakatan Rakyat state government made a mess of the matters. He doesn’t seem to really understand the logistic and long-term practical implications involved, but just wants to score political points by exploiting the disputes.
Chua also claimed that the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor state government allowed “thousands” of reflexology and entertainment outlets to flourish in Klang, implying that the alternative coalition is causing moral decline in the royal town.
He also alleges that the Pakatan Rakyat state administrations in Kedah and Penang have allowed the water tariff to increase by 20%.
Chua has given a misrepresentation on the Penang water tariff, claiming that the tariff had increased by 20%.
The fact is that the Guan Eng administration has not increased the heavily-subsidized rates for domestic consumers, but only imposed a water conservation charge to reduce water wastage.
Actually, only water tariffs for business have been increased to meet the production cost. Penang, meanwhile, still has the lowest water tariffs in the country for both domestic and business users.
To make a sweeping claim that the Guan Eng administration had increased the water tariff by 20% is to tell a very despicable lie, unbecoming of a national political leader.
The most outrageous claim, however, is Chua’s statement that Penang under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of the DAP is now running on a deficit budget, which the MCA boss says would get worse next year.
Chua is either shockingly nescient and ignoramus, or a deliberate liar. The facts and figures are out in the open for all and sundry to see.
Since the Pakatan Rakyat took control of the Penang state government from the Barisan Nasional after the March 2008 general election, the state has recorded the biggest surpluses in the nation’s history with RM88 million in 2008, RM77 million in 2009 and RM33 million in 2010, as certified by the Auditor-General in his report.
The solid and sound financial management by the Guan Eng administration also resulted in the heavily deficit-ridden Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) being saved from bankruptcy within just a year of financial rejuvenation.
The Guan Eng administration, guided by the principles of competency, accountability and transparency (CAT), managed to lead the MPSP to post RM41 million in budget surpluses since 2008 compared to the big deficits it recorded from 2000 to 2007 under the Barisan Nasional administration, which amounted to a whopping RM230 million.
It should also be noted that the Guan Eng administration is the only government in Malaysia, whether state or federal, to be highly commended by Transparency International for its anti-corruption efforts.
Chua Soi Lek’s current attempt to woo the Chinese to support the MCA by attacking the Pakatan Rakyat, especially the DAP, is obviously and action in futility. The community in general has lost complete faith in the MCA, especially when its present set of leaders are found wanting.
In a commentary on the MCA I wrote in March 2011 when I was still chief editor of mysinchew.com, I made several observations of the party which I believe are still relevant. I am repeating them here.
Although Chua and the MCA are attempting to regain the middle ground lost en masse by the party in 2008, the party faces two big obstacles – one internal, and the other external.
The internal obstacle is surely its current leadership, which is composed of out-dated and spent political players, some with very weird and bizarre ideas like the one who proposed setting up a “Chinese Perkasa” to challenge the Malay rights group Perkasa, and some whose public comments of vital issues show their height of folly.
I think almost none of the current leaders will be able to do well if they are to contest in the next general election. The ground zero perception of them is generally negative. According to a Merdeka Center survey in 2010, only 9% of the Chinese voters have any respect for Chua, which is actually much better than that of Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who received only 1%. The survey only listed these two Chinese leaders, but I believe it is a general reflection of the Chinese support for the MCA and Gerakan leaders.
The external obstacle in their way is the rejuvenated, regenerated, and reformed DAP.
Since the March 2008 general election, there has been a taxonomic group of very educated, progressive, professional and youthful politicians in the DAP, led by the relatively young but veteran political maverick Lim Guan Eng. The highly intellectual and articulate young elected representatives of the DAP are making waves in Parliament and at the various state assemblies, as well as in the public arena, where the battle for the hearts and minds of the people is taking place.
The DAP can boast of an army of very bright, well-educated, well-trained, and morally upright young politicians to spearhead the thrust for the transformation of the nation into a new and better Malaysia. Among the young leaders are the likes of Teresa Kok, Chow Koon Yeow, Anthony Loke, Fong Po Kuan, Lim Lip Eng, Teo Nie Ching, Tony Pua, Jenice Lee, Gobind Singh, Boo Cheng Hua, Hannah Yeoh, Violent Yong, Liew Chin Tong, Jeff Ooi, Thomas Su, and many more.
Can the MCA beat off such an impressive formidable challenge from its diehard political opponent DAP?
To regain the trust and confidence of the Chinese community and to remain relevant, the MCA must undergo a total revamp of its leadership, getting rid of those who had overstayed their usefulness, and those who intelligence are found wanting. The practice of cronyism and nepotism must be eliminated.
Otherwise, what Chua claims about regaining the confidence and support of the Chinese community is merely an illusion – an impossible dream.
I rest my case.
[Note: Thomas Lee has been a newspaper editor and socio-economic and political analyst for over 35 years. He is currently a media consultant.]
Guan Eng calls Soi Lek's bluff: Tell me where you are contesting and I'll be there!
In a challenge that may make Chua Soi Lek go wobbly at the knees, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has demanded that he announce where he will be contesting in the 13th general election so that the DAP secretary-general himself can take on the MCA president.
"Will Chua Soi Lek dare to announce which seat he is contesting, then let me go to that constitutency and repeat Liow’s remarks that we are confident of defeating Chua then see how Chua will respond?" Guan Eng said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The DAP leaderl was responding to a cross-fire between his party and the MCA, which began with a boast by MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai that the BN component party could “unseat any DAP candidate in Bagan”, the constituency now being held by Lim.
"Unlike MCA, DAP has not engaged in political games by boasting we will win or beat Liow in Bentong or Ng Yen Yen in Raub. Only MCA is making all these boasts. We therefore hope that Chua Soi Lek will stop deceiving the public on this matter," said Guan Eng.
MCA has lost the ear of the Chinese
By contrast, Soi Lek's MCA is regarded as the 'sick old man' of the BN, and may even be wiped out in GE-13 - a fate not dissimilar to the SUPP's in the recent Sarawak state elections.
Malaysians of all races are becoming increasingly frustrated at the BN's corrupt and government-knows-best politics.
In the 2008 election, they gave the Pakatan coalition led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim control of 5 of the country's 13 states, and are expected to further endorse the PKR-PAS-DAP combine in GE-13, which must be held by April 2013.
All eyes on Soi Lek
All eyes are now on how Soi Lek will respond to the challenge.Already reviled for a sex scandal, Soi Lek faces further loss of 'face' and standing for himself and his party, with most pundits already saying that he may not even be able to announce any constituency to contest in if Prime Minister Najib Razak has his way and fielded only 'winnable' candidates.
A former Health minister, Soi Lek gave up his Labis parliamentary seat to his son Tee Yong. He has signaled that he wants a new seat for himself and is likely to ask Najib for a safe Umno seat, where he can rely on Malay support to win, having lost the confidence of his own community.
Umno-linked Malay rights group Perkasa has however vowed to ask the Malay electorate to not to vote for MCA, although founder Ibrahim Ali is unlikely to be able to influence his own community by much either despite the fiery sabre rattling that epitomizes BN politics.
MCA full of deception
Guan Eng also said that Chua is guilty of beguiling the public with deception when he alleged that the DAP and its partners in the Pakatan Rakyat had mismanaged the island state’s finances that resulted in so called budget deficits.“Penang has no budget deficits but had recorded budget surpluses every year for the four years we are in power, certified by the Auditor-General Report. This is typical of MCA’s deceptive politics where black becomes white and white become black," Guan Eng added for good measure.
He added that Penang remains the only state throughout the country that has been praised by the world graft watchdog Transparency International for enforcing an open tender system to fight corruption.
Malaysia Chronicle
A Peek into Feb 18 Points of Arguments : The Chinese Political Future Debate
KUALA LUMPUR: Come Feb 18, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng will lock horns in a debate over the Chinese political future. Dr Chua said he had accepted the invitation for the debate organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) and MCA think-tank, Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap), during one of the sessions at the one-day forum on Malaysian Chinese political future at a hotel here. "I will be having a debate with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during the Feb 18 Chinese political conference. "I thank him for accepting the organiser's invitation for the debate," he told reporters after chairing the MCA central committee meeting. The forum titled, 'Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads', is expected to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. All Chinese-based political parties, both in Barisan Nasional and the opposition, have been invited to present their achievements at the forum. Apart from leaders of political parties, other speakers would include representatives of non-governmental organisations. BERNAMA here
Can the Chinese debate their political future on issues exclusively Chinese?
To begin let me quote Lucian Pye observation in Asian Power and Politics: The cultural dimensions of Authority
How true is that situation?
Fast forward a little bit
According to Rita Sim of Insap, the MCA think-tank, Chinese support for the DAP has not changed much over the last 20 years. Contrary to public perception, DAP’s support from mainly the Chinese, and to a lesser extent the Indians, has hovered at around one million votes for each of the last five general elections. But support for parties like PAS and PKR shot up by more than two million votes over the same period.
The Barisan Nasional, on the other hand, saw its support increase by one million votes over the same period. “The Malay vote has shifted the most. The Chinese vote has been quite constant in trend,” said Sim. Issues like corruption, abuse of power and good governance cut across race lines. Malays are equally concerned about these issues and that may explain why they have taken their votes elsewhere. But the significant number of Chinese voters in the last two by-elections made it seem as though the Chinese had swung or, as some would put it, are ungrateful. Shift to PAS PAS has been the chief beneficiary of the Malay shift. Its share of votes has increased three-fold from only about 376,000 in 1990 to 1.1 million in 2008. PKR’s support began with 774,000 votes in 1999, dipped to 578,000 in 2004 and surged to 1.5 million in 2008.
Its support has been from primarily the Malays and Chinese who are not comfortable with the way DAP handles issues. Politics, said Insap chairman Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan On, is also about convincing people to support you because you can guarantee their future and that of their children. It is not about whether people are ungrateful or disloyal to a political party. Sim: ‘MCA and Gerakan feel the brunt of Chinese anger and frustration at the ballot box’. “If they think we are not delivering what they want, they go elsewhere. That’s the politics of voting and it’s the same in every part of the world,” said Dr Fong. He said the perception that the Chinese are content with immersing themselves in business and leaving politics to the Malays is also a myth in modern Malaysia. Chinese make up only 25% of the population, but they have a high voter registration rate and make up about 32% of the electorate. The implication here is that political awareness among the Chinese is high, and they keep in touch with issues, some more so than others.
A large proportion of them are connected to the Internet. “It’s one of the arenas where they feel that they have equal rights and they want to exercise it to the fullest. This is where parties like MCA and Gerakan feel the brunt of Chinese frustration,” said Sim. The Chinese stuff all their anger and dissatisfaction into the ballot box. The 2008 general election was the perfect example of that. DAP’s share of the vote in 2004 was only about 700,000 as the Chinese supported Barisan and gave Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a ringing victory. But barely a year later, they were stunned when he sat back and allowed Umno leaders including his son-in-law to wave the keris and rant about Malay supremacy. Four years later, they pulled back their support and DAP’s share of the total votes increased to 1.1 million. here
The Chinese over the last 3 years have seen how DAP politicians having the upper-hand in the current political set-up of Pakatan Rakyat, I do not need to cite the examples as I think most of you are aware of the developments in the various PR lead states.
The Chinese have also over the years heard of the egalitarian Malaysian Malaysia clarion call being pushed by DAP ever since Lee Kuan Yew left and now the re-branded Malaysia First
MALAYSIAN FIRST is a continuation of DAP’s original struggle for a Malaysian Malaysia. Malaysian First stresses the dual purpose of achieving national unity and economic prosperity amongst all Malaysians. First, national unity should be based not on race or religion but on a common identity centered on democracy, freedom, justice, integrity and human dignity. Secondly the importance of becoming global champions in academic excellence, economic competitiveness, technological merit and knowledge management to ensure economic prosperity that is shared equitably with all Malaysians. The first limb: National Unity If we should not identify ourselves based on the colour of our skin or the God we pray, then what is the meaning of being Malaysian? DAP submits that being Malaysian should depend on certain universal values we share and subscribe, focusing particularly on democracy, freedom, justice, integrity and human dignity. Being a Malaysian should mean:- upholding democratic values where people can participate in decision-making by electing their representatives at all levels, including local government elections; enjoying basic human rights and freedoms, especially freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.(Roosevelt); Justice and equality goes together in upholding the rule of law “where injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere;(Martin Luther King); Integrity is not just being closer to God but upholding transparency and accountability would make us more successful in battling the scourge of corruption; The inalienable right of every human to be treated with dignity and respect enjoying equal political rights as a citizen of Malaysia. This is the first limb of Malaysian First where these 5 values of democracy, freedom, justice, integrity and human dignity are values that all Malaysians can associate and take pride in. The Second Limb: Ensuring Economic Prosperity National unity and economic progress are interdependent. Only with national unity can we secure the basis for economic progress. And only with economic progress can national unity be sustained. .......... We need a Malaysian First Economic policy emphasizing wealth creation and an equitable wealth distribution relying on academic excellence, economic competitiveness, technological merit and knowledge management as well as based on the principle that the benefits and burdens are to be shared equitably. Let us pursue this Malaysian Dream that we are seen not as Malays, Chinese and Indians but as 100% Malaysians with equal rights and opportunities and whose hard work will be rewarded richly and enjoyed in a safe and secure environment. Let us make Malaysian First here
Now lets go back to the situation before 2008 Election, I'm sourcing this from Ong Tee Keat page where he actually put up one of the US Embassy Cables (he must have said all those things I presume)
3. (C) Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Vice President Ong Tee Keat, who also serves as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, was one of the few ministerial level Chinese politicians who refused to deny publicly or privately the fact that Chinese Malaysians are marginalized. In a private meeting with poloff Ong commented that although Chinese leaders from MCA and the People's Movement Party (Gerakan) were bound to support government (i.e. UMNO) positions, their Chinese constituents were not satisfied with their responses. Ong commented that in cases such as this, "silence is sometimes our only valid response." But he acknowledged, "of course we are marginalized, big business to small stall owners know that -- but MCA cannot admit it." So when pressed by reporters for a public response to Lee's accusation, Ong related an old Chinese proverb -- "Whether the water in the tea cup is hot or cold, he who drinks it knows best."
4. (C) According to Ong, MCA will face its greatest electoral challenge ever in the next two years. In his opinion, there was great dissatisfaction with the status quo in the Chinese community that was only partially seen in the Sarawak elections when the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) won six seats (Ref A). "Sarawak was a wake-up call for all Chinese parties," Ong told poloff. MCA and Gerakan have studied the results of the Sarawak elections, but are not sure they can counter the growing discontent in their communities. The Chinese component parties of BN no longer have community focused development projects to show their constituents, as these have all been redirected to Malay communities. "There was once a day in Malaysia when MCA would get the left-overs, but now we are just hoping to get some crumbs from the UMNO table," said Ong. Ong admitted that an example of only getting the crumbs could be seen in the Ninth Malaysia plan wherein the government planned for the construction of 180 new elementary and secondary schools, none of which would be vernacular schools for either the Chinese or Indian communities. Only after loud outcries from the Chinese community did the Ministry of Education "cave in" and announce that two of the 180 schools would be designated as Chinese vernacular schools. Again, MCA could not provide a proportional voice for the Chinese minority, and Ong believed the community took note.
7. (C) In a separate meeting with poloff, Lee Kah Choon admitted that, like MCA, Gerakan too would face a strong political challenge in the next general election, as they have not been able to overcome the perception that the Chinese community is continually discriminated against by the Malay majority government. Lee's only hope was that DAP "would continue to run dishwashers and truck drivers" for state and federal parliamentary seats, and thus would remain uncompetitive in the general elections in Penang. In another meeting, Dr. Toh Kin Woon lamented that UMNO was resorting to "blatant racist tactics that Malaysia has not seen since the late 1980s." He attributed the rise in UMNO's racist rhetoric to PM Abdullah's weakness as a leader. "Malaysians need a strong leader who knows when to be ruthless. Mahathir knew how to be ruthless, but he became cruel, and that's when he lost respect. Abdullah is not cruel, but neither is he ruthless when he needs to be. He is just weak; so he resorts to racist tactics to hold on to the majority Malays." He faulted Koh for not standing up to Abdullah regarding his accusations of the Chinese marginalizing ethnic Malays in Penang, and opined that such weakness in the party opened the door for the opposition to make significant gains in then next general election. here
I want all of you to look back over the last few years.
Who has DAP been attacking?
The Chinese Pro-Government Party or the Leading Malay Party?
At the same time, look at how MCA reaction on Chinese specific issues and its relation with UMNO
This pattern is consistent with the type of democracy our country has adopted.
I wrote about it sometime back
What is Consociational Democracy? The main Theorist Arend Lijphard came out with the term after studying deeply divided societies;
"Consociational prescriptions are based on the principle that each ethnic polity should enjoy a significant degree of autonomy and a right of veto over matters directly affecting the welfare of its members. Emphasising the need for elite cooperation if democracy is to survive in ethnically-cleaved societies, consociational agreements entail a balance of power within government between clearly defined social segments, brokered by identifiable ethnic leaders representing distinct social groups" Benjamin Reilly
Here the key word is "Elite" and "Power of Veto of Key Decisions" by Minority groups..... As per the theory.....the Elites are tasked to represent the respective community......how did this came about.....I think all of you by now know that our leaders from the start of this young country were made up of the "big guns, big money and aristocrats" of each ethnic group....no need to explain further...... As per the level of plurality in our society......let us start from the most extreme as per the original defination by the British Scholar JS Furnival "a plural society in which the different racial groups live side by side under a single political administration but, apart from economic transactions, do not interact with each other socially or culturally"
Sounds familiar folks?........ Our PM launched his 1Malaysia yang Satu Malaysia tak paham …….which is the antithesis to "So many Malaysia"....after how many years of Merdeka? Why so ? Look around you and judge for yourself how we stand from religious, ideological, linguistic, cultural, ethnic or racial lines and ask yourself are we not operating as subsocieties with our own political parties, interest groups, media of communication and the whole jingbeng la.
Lets go back to the theory.... “Consociationalism guarantees that each ethnic group would share political power and constrains the elite of those different groups to govern together. Consociationalism is therefore a powerful means for protecting minorities and for imposing accommodation at the political level. However, consociationalism suffers of schizophrenia: if consociation compels political elites to find a compromise between the demands of ethnic groups, it does not give group leaders any incentive to adopt a moderate discourse on ethnic questions. On the contrary, in order to obtain the support of their electorate, leaders must adopt an aggressive attitude.” Laurent De Brey
Sound familiar again folks? Just look back at each party campaign speeches or Even the Annual party meetings rhetorics…..
Now lets us look at the other side of the coin....Centripetalism
"Centripetalism is as a political system or strategy designed to focus competition at the moderate centre rather than the extremes, and identified three facilitating components:
(i) the presentation of electoral incentives for campaigning politicians to reach out to and attract votes from a range of ethnic groups other than their own, thus encouraging candidates to moderate their political rhetoric on potentially divisive issues and forcing them to broaden their policy positions;
(ii) the presence of multiethnic arenas of bargaining such as parliamentary and executive forums, in which political actors from different groups have an incentive to come together and cut deals on reciprocal electoral support, and hence perhaps on other more substantial policy issues as well; and
(iii) the development of centrist, aggregative and multiethnic political parties or coalitions of parties which are capable of making cross-ethnic appeals and presenting a complex and diverse range of policy options to the electorate. Like consociationalism, centripetal proposals for conflict management focus on parties, elections, and representative institutions as the key focus of political engineering. However, the institutional recommendations made by centripetalists often run sharply counter to those of consociationalists. For instance, rather than focussing on the fair representation of ethnically-defined political parties, centripetalists place a premium on promoting multiethnic parties and cross-ethnic activity" Benjamin Reilly
So folks how does this fit into what we are observing in Malaysia.... Take the Barisan for instance its 3 main component parties are actually Consociationalist and the Barisan National itself is the Centripetalist when they go for election la...policy making is still dictated by the Consociationalist extremist...... So what happens now when an issue that falls into the ethnic cleavage crops up? How does the Elites Political Actors react to the demand of each ethnic interest group......do they move to the center to find a solution or do they go to the extreme to gain the ethnic political support here
Come February 18, two political actors representing their ethnic group will be discussing the future path of their community and how they will lead them.
One of them has shown his bottom line going forward
The MCA Presidential Council has unanimously decided that it will not take up any government posts ranging from cabinet ministers to village heads if the Party performs worse in the coming General Election than the one on March 8 in 2008. After chairing a 3-hour Presidential Council meeting on April 29, MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek said that is what the Party is going to do if MCA fails to perform better than the 2008 General Elections especially in garnering the support from the Chinese community. Soi Lek added that although such a decision has been made, the MCA will continue to stay in Barisan Nasional because the Party is confident that under the leadership of Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Haji Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, the country will transform and achieve the target of 1Malaysia and become a high income nation by 2020. here
This scenario is similar to the stand MCA took after the 1969 Election
However, after the May general elections in 1969, Malaysia suffered a great setback with the outbreak of the May 13 riots. The MCA bore the brunt of anti-establishment feelings during the May elections and after the electoral setback, the MCA withdrew from the Cabinet. An emergency was declared after the May 13 riots which were blamed on provocation by the Opposition parties. The MCA rejoined the Cabinet later. Subsequently, Tun Tan devoted his time and energy to galvanise the Chinese community in working together with other races for a better Malaysia. The Chinese unity movement was launched and mass rallies were held all over the country. But as the movement grew in momentum, Tun Tan also became the target of attack by those from inside and outside the party who failed to appreciate his good intention. here
Before we go on further I want to bring back an old post into perspective (the J Curve Analysis and The Intra Race Barriers to Unity)
In this framework I said that there is a major Cultural, Linguistic and Religious Barrier that will block the Unity within the Class Dimension and as long as the Government has the Economic capacity to ensure that the Economic Gaps are managed we should be OK.
In 1969 the trigger events were the Cultural and Linguistic Barrier among the races compounded by the Major Gaps in the Economic Class Dimension...
What did we get ?
What did we get ?
A Race Riot
It was not a Riot to overthrow the Government of the day demanding greater freedom.
And the Government was swift to restore "stability" with Military rule..
Recent events indicate that someone is tying to play dangerous game with the barrier (pig in mosque and extra spinning on white angpows)
The barriers will stay for a long while...no political party at this stage is ready to address those issue head on.
So how do we ride the J then?
I shall reiterate my message in the previous post....
Champion the Democracy that you are fighting for...avoid the Red Area in the above graph.
At the same time we must also figure out how to reduce the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Barrier that is keeping us apart...do read here my detail tots on the issue
Back to the debate folks...
This upcoming event on Feb 18th between the two Chinese party leaders will definitely touch things like Affirmative Action, Islamic Laws encroachment into the Chinese Lives and many more potentially sensitive matters.
DAP being a socialist based party will paint a rather bleak picture regarding the gaps in the class dimensions, it will also be attacking the corruption of the elites and perhaps stir up some ethnic and racial issues.
Both side will probably be covering the standard issues on Chinese vernacular schools and the recognition of the UEC.
How will either side "sell" its policy on how to bring forward this "marginalised minority"?
Will it be about how the two major race could co-exist and prosper together?
I think we need to go back to the genuine spirit of cooperation Pre Merdeka. Did you know that the MCA in 1952 actually had a fund to help the less fortunate Malays.
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| Source here |
That spirit is long gone.
The Prime Minister who is opening the event holds the key.
He will need to address two very key issue (here)
- How to strengthen our core institutions with specific focus on the eradication of Corruption by empowering the MACC greater powers.(here)
- How to be more transparent with regards to the previous implementation of affirmative action programs/the provisions under Article 153 and provide details on his "Market Friendly Affirmative Action" plans to counter PR's "Need Based" Plans. (here)
That will swing the debate into the center.
The Chinese who will be watching the debate would then probably have 2 things at the back of their mind
- Do we put our future in the hands of someone who regularly lies to hide his mediocre performance as a leader of a State Government and continuously play with racial sentiments? (no need links bersepah2 post gua kantoi mamat ni kencing)
- If the Malay Votes swings back to BN, do we run the risk of not having any representation in the Government?
When Tun Badawi won the election in 2004, he actually did nothing.
It was the hope of a better future lead by someone who is CLEAN
Both side will need to fight on who will be CLEANER, MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT in its decision and policy making in governing the country.
Let the game of perception begin.
Technical Notes: Chinese Responses to Malay Hegemony (here)
oh before gua lupe hope Mr Proofy can explain how an "open tender" land was sold at a lower price (240psf) than the valuation (7 Million Short- Section 2.1.2 here) and 1 Billion Short if you compare to another land near Queensbay Mall (420psf) (here)
Very interesting "Willing Seller Willing Buyer" activity going on in Penang.
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| Source here |
Unity among Chinese nothing to do with MCA
Way back in 1988 MCA was told, via a classified paper, that people were clamouring for change and 'expected MCA to be a leader and not a follower'.
COMMENT
When the Chinese rejected MCA at the 2008 general election, it was an indication that the community has not only awakened to the fact that the party is no longer relevant and effective in representing its interests, but that it has also expanded its political horizon towards a two-party system.
Moreover, new perceptions are emerging that the unity of the Chinese community is no longer dependent on or factored by the prevailing MCA leadership.
Today’s scenario remain status quo even as in 1988, the Chinese Guilds and Associations blamed MCA leadership under Dr Ling Liong Sik as weak and did not truly live up to the aspirations of the community.
MCA in short has failed to feel the pulse of the community as many younger generations are colour blind and have no confidence in a race-based policy-making nation.
Its survival is threatened by the growth of a two-party system nurtured by a growing population of old and young voters irrespective of racial groupings.
In 1988, Michael Yeoh currently Asli’s CEO who was the chief administrative director presented a classified paper on a number of options for MCA to choose at the crossroads.
MCA was at a political crossroads during a time when Umno was dragged to the courts and was declared unlawful.
When Umno Baru was formed to replace the Umno that was declared unlawful, MCA led by Ling was placed in a leadership dilemma in terms of placing its patronage and loyalty.
Pros and cons of partnership
Five options were stated in the classified paper for MCA leadership to consider.
Firstly, accept the status quo of Umno led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Secondly, MCA leaders to resign all government posts but remain in BN.
The third option was to quit BN and stay as independents.
To consider whether MCA should quit BN and form new alliances as the fourth option and the last resort to de-register the party.
Umno was split into Team A (Umno Baru quoted as status quo) and a splinter group under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah leading Team B.
Michael in listing out the “pros and cons’ argued the advantages and disadvantages of MCA facing the crossroads.
“Merits supporting the status quo of Umno Baru would prevent uncontrollable outcome of an Emergency Rule and that might allow a two-party system to take root,” stated the paper.
“By threatening of a MCA withdraw from BN might place the party in a better bargaining power to negotiate as such a move could trigger other component parties leaving the coalition.
“Perhaps, MCA can get some crumbs and even more crumbs,” Michael wrote.
MCA threatened by two-party system
Arguments against supporting Umno Baru (Team A) included that MCA should not be dragged down with the sinking ship and that the MCA could no longer trust Umno under the Dr Mahathir’s leadership because of the leadership’s arrogance and failure to deliver its promises to MCA.
“The mood of the people clamouring for change expected MCA to be a leader and not a follower,” the 1988 classified paper stated.
Today the MCA under the leadership of Chua remains at a crossroads.
Threatened by a two-party system and a predicament of worsening lack of confidence from Malaysian voters, the MCA’s future political survival is at stake.
It is becoming a political parasite to Umno and its survival is doubtful even within Chinese majority electoral constituencies.
Hence, how relevant or true is MCA’s claim that the two-party system is becoming a race system? The answer perhaps lies within Umno, the predator of race-based policies.
MCA is misguided into challenging DAP onto a formal debate on the race system.
The historical evidence above justified that the answers should lie within the MCA-Umno hegemony since both are predominantly race-based parties.
The Chinese proverb – “one step in the wrong direction will cause a thousand years of regret” – remains true today.
Would the same be happening if MCA in the 50s had joined a multiracial platform instead of a single race-based party called Umno?
Indeed, wisdom lies in the following Chinese proverb, which says: “ren jian li er bu jian hai, yu jian shi er bu jian gou”. Translated it means MCA at that time “like a fish only saw the bait but not the hook”.
Stanley Koh is a former head of MCA’s research unit. He is a FMT columnist.
About Me
- Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek 拿督斯里蔡細歷
- In my 22 years as a politician, I have been the Health Minister from 2004-2008, EXCO Johor for 3 terms, state assemblyman for 4 terms before becoming an MP for Labis constituency.
On January 1, 2008, Chua admitted that he was the person featured in a sensational sex DVD that was widely being circulated in Johor. The two DVDs were distributed anonymously in Muar and other towns in Johor show Dr Chua having sex with a young woman, described by him as a "personal friend." The DVDs are believed to be wireless hidden camera recordings in a hotel suite.[3]
He claimed no involvement in the filming or production of the DVD in question.[4] On January 2, 2008, he formally announced his resignation from all posts including Member of Parliament for Labis, vice presidency of MCA, and Minister of Health at a press conference.[5]
Chua later remarked his downfall was due to his dedication to his work as Health Minister and MCA Vice-President, which caused his political rivals to grow suspicious of him.[6]
ORIGINAL CLIPS of Malaysia Minister of Health & Sex Dr. Chua
Dr Chua Soi Lek in Sex Movie Video Clips - 1st Jan 08
Malaysia Minister Of Health's Xmas Sex DVD Scandal Dec 2007
Chua Soi Lek’s Sex DVDs, Cuckoo ends his Career
Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek
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Born in 8 December 1960, Lim Guan Eng, Member of Parliament for Bagan, State Assemblyman for Air Puteh.
He is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang, he is also the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party (DAP).
DAP completed a clean sweep of all 19 Penang state seats it contested in the 12th Malaysian General Election. He is married to Betty Chew Gek Cheng, State Assemblyperson for Kota Laksamana. They have four children.
Lim Guan Eng attended the La Salle Primary English School in Petaling Jaya and later the Batu Pahat Montfort Primary English School. For secondary education, he went to Batu Pahat High School and Malacca High School. He graduated from Monash University, Australia in Bachelor of Economics and was a qualified professional accountant by 1983. He was the president of MUISS (Monash University International Student Society).
Prior to joining politics he was a bank senior executive. In 1986, he was elected as MP for Kota Melaka, by defeating former Malaysian football captain Soh Chin Aun with a majority of 17,606 votes.
In October 1987 , he was detained in ‘Operation Lalang’ under the inhumane Internal Security Act(ISA) , he was released after 18 months on April 1989.
His political life becomes more active since then. He was elected as DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) chairman 1989 and 1992. He was re-elected as MP for Kota Melaka for a second and third term in 1990 and 1995 respectively. In 1995, he became DAP Deputy Secretary-General.
Lim was arrested by Malaysian police in 1994, following his criticism of the government’s handling of allegations of statutory rape of one of his constituents by former Chief Minister of the state of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik. Consequently, while the Attorney General decided not to charge Rahim Thamby Chik, Lim was charged under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 for causing ‘disaffection with the administration of justice in Malaysia’. Lim was also charged under Section 8A (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for ‘maliciously’ printing a pamphlet containing allegedly ‘false information’ because he had described the alleged rape victim as an ‘imprisoned victim’ because she was initially detained by Malaysian police without parental consent for 10 days.
After a series of appeals, Lim was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. He was, however, released after 12 months on August 25, 1999. Due to his incarceration he was disallowed from standing for election to public office for a period of 5 years, and he was therefore ineligible to contest in the 2004 Malaysian General Election.
In May 2004, Lim Guan Eng was elected as Secretary-General of DAP.
On 8 March 2008, Lim contested in the Bagan parliamentary seat and Air Putih state seat in the 2008 General Election. He won the Bagan seat, defeated Song Choy Leng (BN) with a majority of 22,070 votes, and the Air Puteh seat beating Tan Yoke Cheng (BN) with a 4,061 vote margin.
Lim garnered the second highest number of votes (620) from delegates at the party’s 15th National Congress on August 23rd, 2008. The result was a vindication of his leadership in leading DAP to its biggest electoral win in the 12th general election on March 8th, 2008.
He has sworn in as the Chief Minister of Penang on March 11, 2008. Since then, he has been initiating the system of governance based on the principles of ‘Competency, Accountability and Transparency’(CAT) and with a soul as one that adopts an ethical and moral leadership that professes and gives faith, hope and love.
He is the 4th Chief Minister of the State of Penang, he is also the Secretary-General of the Malaysian Democratic Action Party (DAP).
DAP completed a clean sweep of all 19 Penang state seats it contested in the 12th Malaysian General Election. He is married to Betty Chew Gek Cheng, State Assemblyperson for Kota Laksamana. They have four children.
Lim Guan Eng attended the La Salle Primary English School in Petaling Jaya and later the Batu Pahat Montfort Primary English School. For secondary education, he went to Batu Pahat High School and Malacca High School. He graduated from Monash University, Australia in Bachelor of Economics and was a qualified professional accountant by 1983. He was the president of MUISS (Monash University International Student Society).
Prior to joining politics he was a bank senior executive. In 1986, he was elected as MP for Kota Melaka, by defeating former Malaysian football captain Soh Chin Aun with a majority of 17,606 votes.
In October 1987 , he was detained in ‘Operation Lalang’ under the inhumane Internal Security Act(ISA) , he was released after 18 months on April 1989.
His political life becomes more active since then. He was elected as DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) chairman 1989 and 1992. He was re-elected as MP for Kota Melaka for a second and third term in 1990 and 1995 respectively. In 1995, he became DAP Deputy Secretary-General.
Lim was arrested by Malaysian police in 1994, following his criticism of the government’s handling of allegations of statutory rape of one of his constituents by former Chief Minister of the state of Melaka, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik. Consequently, while the Attorney General decided not to charge Rahim Thamby Chik, Lim was charged under Section 4(1) (b) of the Sedition Act 1948 for causing ‘disaffection with the administration of justice in Malaysia’. Lim was also charged under Section 8A (1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for ‘maliciously’ printing a pamphlet containing allegedly ‘false information’ because he had described the alleged rape victim as an ‘imprisoned victim’ because she was initially detained by Malaysian police without parental consent for 10 days.
After a series of appeals, Lim was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. He was, however, released after 12 months on August 25, 1999. Due to his incarceration he was disallowed from standing for election to public office for a period of 5 years, and he was therefore ineligible to contest in the 2004 Malaysian General Election.
In May 2004, Lim Guan Eng was elected as Secretary-General of DAP.
On 8 March 2008, Lim contested in the Bagan parliamentary seat and Air Putih state seat in the 2008 General Election. He won the Bagan seat, defeated Song Choy Leng (BN) with a majority of 22,070 votes, and the Air Puteh seat beating Tan Yoke Cheng (BN) with a 4,061 vote margin.
Lim garnered the second highest number of votes (620) from delegates at the party’s 15th National Congress on August 23rd, 2008. The result was a vindication of his leadership in leading DAP to its biggest electoral win in the 12th general election on March 8th, 2008.
He has sworn in as the Chief Minister of Penang on March 11, 2008. Since then, he has been initiating the system of governance based on the principles of ‘Competency, Accountability and Transparency’(CAT) and with a soul as one that adopts an ethical and moral leadership that professes and gives faith, hope and love.
About Lim Guan Eng
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| Biodata |
| Vision for Penang |
| New challenges, new perspective Soi Lek: Don’t dismiss MCA because DAP won big once February 18, 2012  Dr Chua labelled DAP’s achievements from 2008 a “one-off” feat. — Picture by Jack Ooi The MCA president said before Election 2008, DAP had only 12 parliamentary seats and cautioned the public not to assume that the opposition party will repeat its performance from four years ago, which he called a “one-off” event. “People get very gung-ho about the last election... Just because of one record-breaking result, a lot of people already passed a doomsday sentence on Barisan Nasional, on MCA. “It’s the first time they (DAP) have a breakthrough and everybody says the rest are closing down, the whole country belongs to DAP,” he told reporters after opening the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here. Dr Chua pointed out that MCA had never dismissed DAP despite its performance prior to the “political tsunami” of 2008, and asked that voters not write off the ruling party so readily. “MCA used to have nearly 30 MPs but we never passed comment that DAP was done for,” he said. “The people can change. Do not take the people for granted. We never take the people for granted. So please don’t write off Barisan Nasional so fast.” He also stressed that a vote for DAP was not a vote to strengthen the opposition in general like before but was a vote to benefit Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner PAS, which he claimed would impose Islamic values on non-Muslims. He said the “wrong choice” in the next election would have a big impact on the country and said Chinese voters needed to increase their awareness of, according to him, the threat PAS represented to Malaysia’s multiracial fabric. Dr Chua added that he wanted to see MCA members work harder to regain support from the Chinese unlike DAP, which he charged was taking for granted that the community would support them. “All of us must work hard. The people have their expectations and if we can meet their expectations, which may be a rising expectation, then we can get some support,” he said. UPDATED @ 01:24:56 PM 18-02-2012 February 18, 2012  Dr Chua pointed to Kelantan as an example of what Malaysia would become under a PR administration. — Picture by Jack Ooi The MCA president said this was because the “principal benefactor” of any Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government would be PAS, which he claimed could impose Islamist values on non-Muslims as Malays formed the majority of the electorate. “Pause for a moment. Just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan, with all its restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here. “So let’s not be deceived by dishonest rhetoric. Let us face the hard truth that if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian Constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised.”Dr Chua said it was “naïve” to believe DAP could keep PAS’s agenda in check, and noted that the mostly-Chinese party had failed to stop their Islamist partner from pursuing policies that encroached on non-Muslims’ way of life. This included the bans on concerts, sale of alcohol, and lottery tickets, as well as the public segregation of males and females in Kelantan and Kedah, which were under PAS control, he said. “DAP must be day-dreaming that it can control PAS from imposing its values on non-Muslims,” he said. DAP’s inability to stand up against PAS will also only bolster the “hidden Islamic agenda” of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has obligations to Muslim youth group Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Dr Chua added. He said BN, unlike “puritanical” PAS, has never sought to limit non-Muslims’ social and personal freedoms, and urged the Chinese community not to gamble with the fabric of multiracial Malaysia. “I recognise that there are many issues out there that need our attention and the need for us to change, but change should not lead to destroying the very edifice that has housed us all this time. “Let’s not forget the old adage about bringing down the house in order to make improvements,” he said. 
 MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek kicked off the much anticipated ‘Malaysian Chinese At the Political Crossroads’ conference today with an all out verbal assault against Pakatan Rakyat, ahead of his debate against DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.  Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said that the country's billionaires are where they are today because of of the BN government's concessions. ‘Pakatan will bankrupt nation in two years’For Pakatan to ensure all 3.8 million households receive RM4,000 a month,it will need RM93.9 billion annually, causing public debt to be more than 100% of the GDP, says MCA.  KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will go bankrupt within two years if the Opposition comes to power, said MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek today.“Talking about Buku Jingga, it is one that will bankrupt this nation in two years, we will go the way of Greece,” Dr Chua said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” forum in Berjaya Times Square. Dr Chua said if Pakatan delivered all its promises as stated in the Buku Jingga, it will cost taxpayers a total of RM199 billion to RM254 billion. “Public debt will soar to RM617.1 billion in Year one and Malaysia will go bankrupt by Year 2 of PR’s ( Pakatan) tenure as the budget deficit will have exceeded 10% of the GDP and public debt will have exceeded 100% of the GDP,” he said. Dr Chua said Pakatan would cause public debt to be more than 100% of the GDP if it follows its proposal is to ensure a RM4,000 monthly income to all household in five years. “A total of RM93.9billion annually would need to be paid out to the 3.8million households to ensure their income is guaranteed at RM4,000 per month. “I’m just saying the truth. I didn’t go and manufacture something out of thin air… This is not political spin by Chua Soi Lek,” he said. Dr Chua also warned the Chinese majority crowd that voting for DAP is akin to paving the way for PAS to become the “tai kor”(boss) of the state and federal government. “Pause for a moment, just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan with all restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said. ‘DAP failed to checkmate PAS’ Condemning Pakatan’s failure to agree with each other, especially DAP and PAS over hudud law and other ‘Islamic restrictions’ against non-muslims, Dr Chua said DAP has “failed to checkmate PAS”. “Let us face the hard truth, if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised,” he said. Later, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, in his keynote address, pledged to “do my best to bring Malaysia to become a great nation”, but urged that he needed voters to give him the mandate. “I am listening to you (the Chinese) and I’d like to hear more… If your demands are reasonable and fair, I will make it policy,” said Najib. Najib said that when he was education minister, he had amended the law that gave the government the power to remove Chinese schools. “But a certain minister did not want to do it when he was education minister… Today the only country that allows chnese schools outside of China is Malaysia,” he said. Najib also questioned whether the Opposition was ready for a two-party system when it doesn’t even have a shadow Cabinet. Calling Pakatan a motley group that does not inspire confidence, Najib asked:”Even today, you ask them what post to give to Hadi Awang. Where to put Mat Sabu, education minister? We’re looking at disaster.” Datuk Seri Najib Razak shakes hands with Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (second right) at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference in KL, February 18, 2011. UPDATED @ 01:24:56 PM 18-02-2012 February 18, 2012 Dr Chua pointed to Kelantan as an example of what Malaysia would become under a PR administration. — Picture by Jack Ooi The MCA president said this was because the “principal benefactor” of any Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government would be PAS, which he claimed could impose Islamist values on non-Muslims as Malays formed the majority of the electorate. “Pause for a moment. Just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan, with all its restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here. “So let’s not be deceived by dishonest rhetoric. Let us face the hard truth that if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian Constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised.”Dr Chua said it was “naïve” to believe DAP could keep PAS’s agenda in check, and noted that the mostly-Chinese party had failed to stop their Islamist partner from pursuing policies that encroached on non-Muslims’ way of life. This included the bans on concerts, sale of alcohol, and lottery tickets, as well as the public segregation of males and females in Kelantan and Kedah, which were under PAS control, he said. “DAP must be day-dreaming that it can control PAS from imposing its values on non-Muslims,” he said. DAP’s inability to stand up against PAS will also only bolster the “hidden Islamic agenda” of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has obligations to Muslim youth group Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Dr Chua added. He said BN, unlike “puritanical” PAS, has never sought to limit non-Muslims’ social and personal freedoms, and urged the Chinese community not to gamble with the fabric of multiracial Malaysia. “I recognise that there are many issues out there that need our attention and the need for us to change, but change should not lead to destroying the very edifice that has housed us all this time. “Let’s not forget the old adage about bringing down the house in order to make improvements,” he said.
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek kicked off the much anticipated ‘Malaysian Chinese At the Political Crossroads’ conference today with an all out verbal assault against Pakatan Rakyat, ahead of his debate against DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said that the country's billionaires are where they are today because of of the BN government's concessions. ‘Pakatan will bankrupt nation in two years’For Pakatan to ensure all 3.8 million households receive RM4,000 a month,it will need RM93.9 billion annually, causing public debt to be more than 100% of the GDP, says MCA. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will go bankrupt within two years if the Opposition comes to power, said MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek today.“Talking about Buku Jingga, it is one that will bankrupt this nation in two years, we will go the way of Greece,” Dr Chua said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” forum in Berjaya Times Square. Dr Chua said if Pakatan delivered all its promises as stated in the Buku Jingga, it will cost taxpayers a total of RM199 billion to RM254 billion. “Public debt will soar to RM617.1 billion in Year one and Malaysia will go bankrupt by Year 2 of PR’s ( Pakatan) tenure as the budget deficit will have exceeded 10% of the GDP and public debt will have exceeded 100% of the GDP,” he said. Dr Chua said Pakatan would cause public debt to be more than 100% of the GDP if it follows its proposal is to ensure a RM4,000 monthly income to all household in five years. “A total of RM93.9billion annually would need to be paid out to the 3.8million households to ensure their income is guaranteed at RM4,000 per month. “I’m just saying the truth. I didn’t go and manufacture something out of thin air… This is not political spin by Chua Soi Lek,” he said. Dr Chua also warned the Chinese majority crowd that voting for DAP is akin to paving the way for PAS to become the “tai kor”(boss) of the state and federal government. “Pause for a moment, just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan with all restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said. ‘DAP failed to checkmate PAS’ Condemning Pakatan’s failure to agree with each other, especially DAP and PAS over hudud law and other ‘Islamic restrictions’ against non-muslims, Dr Chua said DAP has “failed to checkmate PAS”. “Let us face the hard truth, if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised,” he said. Later, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, in his keynote address, pledged to “do my best to bring Malaysia to become a great nation”, but urged that he needed voters to give him the mandate. “I am listening to you (the Chinese) and I’d like to hear more… If your demands are reasonable and fair, I will make it policy,” said Najib. Najib said that when he was education minister, he had amended the law that gave the government the power to remove Chinese schools. “But a certain minister did not want to do it when he was education minister… Today the only country that allows chnese schools outside of China is Malaysia,” he said. Najib also questioned whether the Opposition was ready for a two-party system when it doesn’t even have a shadow Cabinet. Calling Pakatan a motley group that does not inspire confidence, Najib asked:”Even today, you ask them what post to give to Hadi Awang. Where to put Mat Sabu, education minister? We’re looking at disaster.” |
UPDATED @ 02:45:01 PM 18-02-2012
February 18, 2012
Speaking at the conference, Najib called PR a “motley collection” that “shouldn’t really inspire confidence in the public”. — Picture by Jack Ooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today challenged the opposition to reveal its shadow Cabinet to strengthen of the country’s two-party system.
He said Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was afraid to announce its shadow minister line-up as they were not united and could not agree on how to divide up key portfolios among its three component parties.
“They dare not. They do not how, what to offer. What position to offer to Haji Hadi (Awang). If you have problems with Haji Hadi, where do you put Mat Sabu? You put him as the shadow education minister? Disaster awaits,” he said of PAS’s top two leaders at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here.
“So really, it is a motley collection of parties and individuals who shouldn’t really inspire confidence in the public. But because they have demonised us ad nauseam... people sometimes do not see through all this.”
PR set up “shadow committees” in 2009 but has so far declined to pick its shadow Cabinet despite repeated calls from civil society groups, claiming it would be too resource-heavy.
Najib also criticised opposition parties for allegedly lacking sincerity, and claimed PR was only good at talking about ideals but not practising them.
He questioned how democratic PKR was, given that its de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had not been elected to his post, while his wife was the president and their daughter, a vice president.
DAP was equally guilty of not walking the talk, the BN president added, claiming that the majority-Chinese party often played the race card despite professing to be multiracial.
“Is DAP really a multi-racial party? You ask the Malays in Penang, is DAP a multi-racial party. They will say some words that [aren’t] exactly the best of the English vocabulary,” he said.
“When they campaign, it’s a kind of whispering campaign. And we know when they whisper in the ears of the Chinese, they whisper something else... They play that (race) card.”
Only BN can guarantee prosperity, Najib tells Chinese
UPDATED @ 01:57:43 PM 18-02-2012
February 18, 2012
Soi Lek: Don’t dismiss MCA because DAP won big once
February 18, 2012
Dr Chua labelled DAP’s achievements from 2008 a “one-off” feat. — Picture by Jack Ooi
The MCA president said before Election 2008, DAP had only 12 parliamentary seats and cautioned the public not to assume that the opposition party will repeat its performance from four years ago, which he called a “one-off” event.
“People get very gung-ho about the last election... Just because of one record-breaking result, a lot of people already passed a doomsday sentence on Barisan Nasional, on MCA.
“It’s the first time they (DAP) have a breakthrough and everybody says the rest are closing down, the whole country belongs to DAP,” he told reporters after opening the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here.
Dr Chua pointed out that MCA had never dismissed DAP despite its performance prior to the “political tsunami” of 2008, and asked that voters not write off the ruling party so readily.
“MCA used to have nearly 30 MPs but we never passed comment that DAP was done for,” he said.
“The people can change. Do not take the people for granted. We never take the people for granted. So please don’t write off Barisan Nasional so fast.”
He also stressed that a vote for DAP was not a vote to strengthen the opposition in general like before but was a vote to benefit Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner PAS, which he claimed would impose Islamic values on non-Muslims.
He said the “wrong choice” in the next election would have a big impact on the country and said Chinese voters needed to increase their awareness of, according to him, the threat PAS represented to Malaysia’s multiracial fabric.
Dr Chua added that he wanted to see MCA members work harder to regain support from the Chinese unlike DAP, which he charged was taking for granted that the community would support them.
“All of us must work hard. The people have their expectations and if we can meet their expectations, which may be a rising expectation, then we can get some support,” he said.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak shakes hands with Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (second right) at the “Malaysian
Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference in KL, February 18, 2011.
UPDATED @ 01:24:56 PM 18-02-2012
February 18, 2012
Dr Chua pointed to Kelantan as an example of what Malaysia would become under a PR administration. — Picture by Jack Ooi
The MCA president said this was because the “principal benefactor” of any Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government would be PAS, which he claimed could impose Islamist values on non-Muslims as Malays formed the majority of the electorate.
“Pause for a moment. Just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan, with all its restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” conference here.
“So let’s not be deceived by dishonest rhetoric. Let us face the hard truth that if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian Constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised.”Dr Chua said it was “naïve” to believe DAP could keep PAS’s agenda in check, and noted that the mostly-Chinese party had failed to stop their Islamist partner from pursuing policies that encroached on non-Muslims’ way of life.
This included the bans on concerts, sale of alcohol, and lottery tickets, as well as the public segregation of males and females in Kelantan and Kedah, which were under PAS control, he said.
“DAP must be day-dreaming that it can control PAS from imposing its values on non-Muslims,” he said.
DAP’s inability to stand up against PAS will also only bolster the “hidden Islamic agenda” of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has obligations to Muslim youth group Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Dr Chua added.
He said BN, unlike “puritanical” PAS, has never sought to limit non-Muslims’ social and personal freedoms, and urged the Chinese community not to gamble with the fabric of multiracial Malaysia.
“I recognise that there are many issues out there that need our attention and the need for us to change, but change should not lead to destroying the very edifice that has housed us all this time.
“Let’s not forget the old adage about bringing down the house in order to make improvements,” he said.
- Soi Lek fires salvos at DAP ahead of debate
- UPDATED 12.06PM The MCA chief throws the first punch ahead of this evening's debate beating the drum over hudud and PAS' Islamic state.
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek kicked off the much anticipated ‘Malaysian Chinese At the Political Crossroads’ conference today with an all out verbal assault against Pakatan Rakyat, ahead of his debate against DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said that the country's billionaires are where they are today because of of the BN government's concessions.
‘Pakatan will bankrupt nation in two years’
For Pakatan to ensure all 3.8 million households receive RM4,000 a month,it will need RM93.9 billion annually, causing public debt to be more than 100% of the GDP, says MCA.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will go bankrupt within two years if the Opposition comes to power, said MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek today.“Talking about Buku Jingga, it is one that will bankrupt this nation in two years, we will go the way of Greece,” Dr Chua said in his opening speech at the “Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads” forum in Berjaya Times Square.
Dr Chua said if Pakatan delivered all its promises as stated in the Buku Jingga, it will cost taxpayers a total of RM199 billion to RM254 billion.
“Public debt will soar to RM617.1 billion in Year one and Malaysia will go bankrupt by Year 2 of PR’s ( Pakatan) tenure as the budget deficit will have exceeded 10% of the GDP and public debt will have exceeded 100% of the GDP,” he said.
Dr Chua said Pakatan would cause public debt to be more than 100% of the GDP if it follows its proposal is to ensure a RM4,000 monthly income to all household in five years.
“A total of RM93.9billion annually would need to be paid out to the 3.8million households to ensure their income is guaranteed at RM4,000 per month.
“I’m just saying the truth. I didn’t go and manufacture something out of thin air… This is not political spin by Chua Soi Lek,” he said.
Dr Chua also warned the Chinese majority crowd that voting for DAP is akin to paving the way for PAS to become the “tai kor”(boss) of the state and federal government.
“Pause for a moment, just imagine the whole country being transformed into Kelantan with all restrictions and lack of emphasis on socio-economic development,” he said.
‘DAP failed to checkmate PAS’
Condemning Pakatan’s failure to agree with each other, especially DAP and PAS over hudud law and other ‘Islamic restrictions’ against non-muslims, Dr Chua said DAP has “failed to checkmate PAS”.
“Let us face the hard truth, if Pakatan comes to power, the Malaysian constitution will be in jeopardy and the Malaysian way of life will be compromised,” he said.
Later, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, in his keynote address, pledged to “do my best to bring Malaysia to become a great nation”, but urged that he needed voters to give him the mandate.
“I am listening to you (the Chinese) and I’d like to hear more… If your demands are reasonable and fair, I will make it policy,” said Najib.
Najib said that when he was education minister, he had amended the law that gave the government the power to remove Chinese schools.
“But a certain minister did not want to do it when he was education minister… Today the only country that allows chnese schools outside of China is Malaysia,” he said.
Najib also questioned whether the Opposition was ready for a two-party system when it doesn’t even have a shadow Cabinet.
Calling Pakatan a motley group that does not inspire confidence, Najib asked:”Even today, you ask them what post to give to Hadi Awang. Where to put Mat Sabu, education minister? We’re looking at disaster.”
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