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Speech
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Menglembu, Monday) :  There has been a nation-wide furore with Barisan Nasional leaders, ranging from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to MCA and Gerakan leaders denouncing Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for his comment about the marginalization of the Chinese in Malaysia.

The question many are asking is why no action had been taken against UmnoYouth Leader and the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin when he created a storm with his allegation that Malays in Penang are marginalized – if “marginalization” talk is incitement or seditious?

Let us keep two issues separate – Firstly, whether Lee Kuan Yew  as a Singapore leader should have made his “marginalization” comment; and secondly, whether the Chinese in Malaysia are “marginalized” regardless of whether it is stated by Lee Kuan Yew or any other foreign leader.

The first question concerns the propriety of a government leader commenting on the affairs of another country.  Do we want to take a position that leaders of a country  should not comment on the affairs of another country?  Malaysian government leaders have  not shied away from commenting on matters in other countries, whether in their speeches in international conferences or locally.  The Malaysian government’s response should be guided by this principle.

The second question is whether the Chinese in Malaysia  have been marginalized.  Just like Khairy’s earlier allegation that the Malays in Penang have been marginalized, this is question which must be considered on its merits regardless of whether the issue is raised by Lee Kuan Yew or the Prime Minister’s son-in-law.

Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik and Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon have all come out to rebut Lee Kuan Yew and  declare that the Chinese in Malaysia are not marginalized.   

I have no doubt, however,  that if a secret poll is conducted among the MCA and Gerakan membership, their  overwhelming majority will vote in support of the proposition that the Chinese in Malaysia are marginalized.

It is clear that the MCA and Gerakan leaders are not even representing the  views of their membership in their responses on the question of marginalization which covers many fields – citizenship, economic, political, cultural, educational, religious, human rights, etc.

There are the marginalized among all communities in Malaysia – the Malays, Indians, Kadazans Ibans and Orang Asli.

Khairy spoke about the Malays being marginalized in Penang.  But who must bear the biggest responsibility for the plight of Malays marginalised in Penang when for the past 13 years, either the post of Deputy Prime Minister or Prime Minister had been occupied by the topmost Umno leader from Penang?

Why is the focus confined to the marginalized Malays in Penang and not in other parts in Malaysia? Is this because the blame must  finally be  traced to Umnoputras who have denied the ordinary Malays, like the ordinary Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazans and Ibans their rightful share in the development, progress and prosperity in the country?

(25/09/2006)