DAP is not interested in defending what Lee Kuan Yew had done in Singapore but is concerned at the politics of “denial and amnesia” by BN leaders, who continue to ignore the obvious fact that the Chinese in Malaysia have been systematically marginalized together with the Indians, poor Malays, bumis from East Malaysia and orang asli.

Even Gerakan and MCA members would not agree with their leaders and Datuk Zam that the Chinese in Malaysia are not marginalized. How can one deny the obvious fact when the government practices discriminatory policies such as quotas in education, employment, housing, religious, cultural, social and economic opportunities? Worse government procurement such as the bulk of the RM 220 billion to be spent under the 9^th Malaysian Plan(9MP) is reserved only for bumis. With the construction sector in a state of recession, what are non-bumi contractors going to survice on then?

Datuk Zam should not forget that it was only 6 months ago that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi continued the New Economic Policy(NEP) in the 9MP. Does not the NEP marginalize the non-Malays, poor Malays and Indians when rich Malays continue to get discounts for buying million-ringgit homes?

Playing the politics of denial and amnesia is important for BN because it avoids answering a very important question – who are the Malays who have benefited from the NEP with shares and APs. In February 2006, Professor Dr Lim Teck Ghee of the Centre for Public Policy Studies(CPPS), submitted a report that showed as at 30 September 2005, bumi ownership of shares in Bursa Malaysia(BM) amounted to 45% or RM 325.08 billion  out of the market capitalization of RM 715 billion.  The real question is not that the non-Malays control only 25% with foregners taking 30% but who are the Malays who own RM 325 billion or 45% of the market capitalization of BM?

Only Gerakan leaders such as Lim Keng Yaik and Koh Tsu Koon or MCA leaders such as Ong Ka Ting and Chan Kong Choy deny and forget that the Chinese are marginalized or dare not ask who are the Malays who control the 45% bumi corporate equity. These Chinese leaders deny and forget because as Ministers they feel that they themselves are not marginalized.

Can these 100 MCA and Gerakan Ministers, MPs and ADUNs represent 6 million Chinese who are marginalized and not leaders of government? DAP challenges MCA and Gerakan leaders to move a motion in their party general assembly and see whether their members would support a motion condemning Lee Kuan Yew for lying that the Chinese is Malaysia are marginalized.