Chinese Malaysians are marginalised: DAP
Opposition party chief agrees with MM Lee's remarks, as do KL educationist, paper
By Leslie Lau
The Straits Times
MALAYSIA'S main opposition party has expressed agreement with the comments Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew made on how Malaysia treats its Chinese citizens.
The Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) said it was an 'obvious fact' that the Chinese in Malaysia were marginalised.
The party's secretary-general, Mr Lim Guan Eng, said the Chinese were not the only victims of discrimination.
'The Chinese Malaysians, together with other non-Chinese like the Indians, East Malaysians and even poor Malays, have been systematically marginalised by discriminatory government policies that only favour the rich and politically connected,' he said.
The DAP's statement came just a day after Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi demanded a clarification from MM Lee over his comments.
At a dialogue for good governance in Singapore on Sept 15, Mr Lee said that the attitude of Malaysia and Indonesia towards the Republic was shaped by the way they treated their ethnic Chinese minorities.
Mr Lee said: 'My neighbours both have problems with their Chinese. They are successful, they are hardworking and therefore they are systematically marginalised, even in education.
'And they want Singapore, to put it simply, to be like their Chinese, compliant.'
MM Lee's comments were criticised by the Malaysian Chinese parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as well.
Mr Lim referred to this as 'politics of denial' by BN leaders.
'It is dishonest as BN leaders themselves have stated that discriminatory government policies such as quotas and the New Economic Policy that result in some political and social marginalisation are necessary for racial harmony and national stability,' he said.
He said that as long as BN leaders, including former premier Mahathir Mohamad, cannot factually disprove MM Lee's claim, 'their emotional denials are like empty vessels making the most noise to cover up the politics of Umno dominance and discrimination'.
The DAP leader also attacked Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, the deputy president of Gerakan, for saying that MM Lee did not appreciate the challenges of running a country that was bigger, more complicated and diverse than Singapore.
Said Mr Lim: 'This is perverse logic. If so, then can we support the apartheid polices of South Africa in the 1980s just because South Africa was bigger, more complicated and diverse than Malaysia?'
Mr Lim then turned on MCA president Ong Ka Ting, who argued that it was unfair and subjective to say Chinese Malaysians were marginalised because the party took it up if there were injustices against them.
'If that is the case, why is it that in Cabinet, four MCA ministers could not convince but had to submit and bow to one Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein?' he asked.
He was referring to a public admonishing of Deputy Higher Education Minister and MCA vice-president Ong Tee Keat, who alleged that Education Ministry officials had pocketed funds meant for vernacular schools.
Mr Ong Ka Ting was reported to have said on Friday that MM Lee's comments had been 'unreasonable'.
He added that Chinese Malaysians were not a submissive lot as MM Lee alleged, and that they knew to speak up for their rights when the situation warranted it.
The China Press daily yesterday reported veteran Chinese educationist Sim Mou Yu as saying that Chinese Malaysians should thank MM Lee for pointing out they had been marginalised.
Though it was reality, Chinese political parties had preferred to keep quiet about it, he said.
He added that the leaders of the Chinese political parties did not speak from their heart when reacting to MM Lee's comments.
He also told the Nanyang Siang Pau newspaper that Chinese Malaysians should reflect deeply on MM Lee's comments and use this opportunity to voice their feelings through the right channels.
He also pointed out that the various quota systems show that Chinese Malaysians have been marginalised, though the government is supposed to treat all taxpayers equally.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak last week denied that non-Malays were discriminated against and said the country practised 'fair' distribution of wealth.
Responding to this, a commentary in Nanyang Siang Pau said yesterday: 'And if 'fair' distribution of wealth is really practised, why is Malaysia's income gap still so wide?...Why is it that 'fair' distribution of wealth benefits only the ruling elite and those related to them?
'In addition, aren't Chinese Malaysians also marginalised where education is concerned? Didn't Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar say recently the government will not build additional Chinese primary schools under the Ninth Malaysia Plan?'
It concluded with the remark: 'Lee Kuan Yew's comments may create some impact, nevertheless, they will not help Chinese Malaysians politically as they come from an elder statesman from Singapore.'
MM Lee's comments have also received strong support from the readers, many of them Chinese, of a blog operated by the English-language New Straits Times newspaper.
By Leslie Lau
The Straits Times
MALAYSIA'S main opposition party has expressed agreement with the comments Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew made on how Malaysia treats its Chinese citizens.
The Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) said it was an 'obvious fact' that the Chinese in Malaysia were marginalised.
The party's secretary-general, Mr Lim Guan Eng, said the Chinese were not the only victims of discrimination.
'The Chinese Malaysians, together with other non-Chinese like the Indians, East Malaysians and even poor Malays, have been systematically marginalised by discriminatory government policies that only favour the rich and politically connected,' he said.
The DAP's statement came just a day after Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi demanded a clarification from MM Lee over his comments.
At a dialogue for good governance in Singapore on Sept 15, Mr Lee said that the attitude of Malaysia and Indonesia towards the Republic was shaped by the way they treated their ethnic Chinese minorities.
Mr Lee said: 'My neighbours both have problems with their Chinese. They are successful, they are hardworking and therefore they are systematically marginalised, even in education.
'And they want Singapore, to put it simply, to be like their Chinese, compliant.'
MM Lee's comments were criticised by the Malaysian Chinese parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as well.
Mr Lim referred to this as 'politics of denial' by BN leaders.
'It is dishonest as BN leaders themselves have stated that discriminatory government policies such as quotas and the New Economic Policy that result in some political and social marginalisation are necessary for racial harmony and national stability,' he said.
He said that as long as BN leaders, including former premier Mahathir Mohamad, cannot factually disprove MM Lee's claim, 'their emotional denials are like empty vessels making the most noise to cover up the politics of Umno dominance and discrimination'.
The DAP leader also attacked Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, the deputy president of Gerakan, for saying that MM Lee did not appreciate the challenges of running a country that was bigger, more complicated and diverse than Singapore.
Said Mr Lim: 'This is perverse logic. If so, then can we support the apartheid polices of South Africa in the 1980s just because South Africa was bigger, more complicated and diverse than Malaysia?'
Mr Lim then turned on MCA president Ong Ka Ting, who argued that it was unfair and subjective to say Chinese Malaysians were marginalised because the party took it up if there were injustices against them.
'If that is the case, why is it that in Cabinet, four MCA ministers could not convince but had to submit and bow to one Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein?' he asked.
He was referring to a public admonishing of Deputy Higher Education Minister and MCA vice-president Ong Tee Keat, who alleged that Education Ministry officials had pocketed funds meant for vernacular schools.
Mr Ong Ka Ting was reported to have said on Friday that MM Lee's comments had been 'unreasonable'.
He added that Chinese Malaysians were not a submissive lot as MM Lee alleged, and that they knew to speak up for their rights when the situation warranted it.
The China Press daily yesterday reported veteran Chinese educationist Sim Mou Yu as saying that Chinese Malaysians should thank MM Lee for pointing out they had been marginalised.
Though it was reality, Chinese political parties had preferred to keep quiet about it, he said.
He added that the leaders of the Chinese political parties did not speak from their heart when reacting to MM Lee's comments.
He also told the Nanyang Siang Pau newspaper that Chinese Malaysians should reflect deeply on MM Lee's comments and use this opportunity to voice their feelings through the right channels.
He also pointed out that the various quota systems show that Chinese Malaysians have been marginalised, though the government is supposed to treat all taxpayers equally.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak last week denied that non-Malays were discriminated against and said the country practised 'fair' distribution of wealth.
Responding to this, a commentary in Nanyang Siang Pau said yesterday: 'And if 'fair' distribution of wealth is really practised, why is Malaysia's income gap still so wide?...Why is it that 'fair' distribution of wealth benefits only the ruling elite and those related to them?
'In addition, aren't Chinese Malaysians also marginalised where education is concerned? Didn't Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar say recently the government will not build additional Chinese primary schools under the Ninth Malaysia Plan?'
It concluded with the remark: 'Lee Kuan Yew's comments may create some impact, nevertheless, they will not help Chinese Malaysians politically as they come from an elder statesman from Singapore.'
MM Lee's comments have also received strong support from the readers, many of them Chinese, of a blog operated by the English-language New Straits Times newspaper.
3 Comments:
At least DAP has balls, i wonder where Gerakan and MCA balls went to? The dogs? yeah, probably the dogs had eaten up their balls... Gerakan and MCA, a disgrace to the chinese community, UMNO balls lickers.
Hello ONg Kah Ting & the MCA bunch.
This is a good wake up call for you to take up with your UMNO boss.
If outsider can see how Chinese in Malaysia are been marginalised by the Melayu, how come you & the MCA bunch cannot see that we are been bullied.
What LKY say is true to the core, and the truth hurts UMNO more than the Chinese. The chinese is already badly hurt by the Melayu, under the watch of MCA for the last 49 years.
This is the best time for your to fight back instead of being in denial.
If you don't fight back, you will eventually lose all your position, money, status, your religious belief and your soul. You will become nothing but a Chinese dress in a Malay baju with a Muslim name in the years to come.
Stand up now, you have wasted 49 years.
Lee Kuan Yew is a racist with malice intentions on the Malays from long ago.
Download this Waspada Malaysia article series by a former PAP activist that was published on MalaysiaKini from the following web addrress:
http://www.savefile.com/projects/1018550
DAP agreement to PAP shows it is a racist and traitor to the country.
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