Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 16^th April 2009: 

Congrats Tee Keat for the gall to accuse others of being “politically bankrupt” when MCA could garner at most five or six per cent of the Chinese votes in Bukit Gantang by-election

It has been said that a politician who is cornered often make ferocious statements or wild allegations to cover up his weaknesses or mistakes.

This is what MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat did in the last two days in his blog postings, accusing me on Tuesday of being “politically bankrupt” and alleging yesterday that I am behind a mysterious conspiracy to lay a trap bent on using him “to pit a particular community against certain national leaders”.

Let me advise Tee Keat to sober up and not to be so paranoid, as he is acting like children who see shadows from the trees at night and imagine monsters from noises in the closet.

I laugh at Tee Keat’s hyperbolic reaction and as expected, the MCA daily Star gave them full coverage yesterday and today while completely blacking out what I have to say.

I must however congratulate MCA President for having the gall to accuse others of being “politically bankrupt” when MCA could garner at most five or six per cent of the Chinese votes in the Bukit Gantang by-election.

And this coming after the humiliating statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz as reported in Star on Monday that Umno must go on its own to regain the support of non-Malay voters and not depend on other Barisan Nasional component parties, as only 11% of the Chinese voters and 9% of the Indians chose Barisan in the Bukit Gantang by-election.

Shared with Gerakan’s efforts and giving MCA the benefit of the doubt as to who wielded greater influence with the Chinese voters in Bukit Gantang, saying that MCA could at most garner five or six per cent of the Chinese votes in Bukit Gantang is already being over-generous to MCA!

According to Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, non-Malay support for Barisan Nasional had declined by a further 50 per cent in Bukit the Gantang by-election as compared to the general election last year.

This is an abject spectacle of the “politically bankrupt” indulging in the delusion and mania of shouting that others are “politically bankrupt”!

And what rubbish is Tee Keat spouting when he blogged:

“I will not allow myself to fall into the trap set by individuals bent on using me to pit a particular community against certain national leaders.”

If he wants to allege that I am setting a trap to use him to “pit” the Malaysian Chinese against Muhyiddin, what not have the courage to spell it out clearly and openly, instead of hiding in nonsensical verbiage?

Clearly, Tee Keat cannot spell it out so clearly and directly, because such a serious allegation is not only baseless, he would be laughed at by all Malaysians, not just the Malaysian Chinese!

I had merely responded to Muhyiddin’s retrogressive, racist and offensive interview in Mingguan Malaysia about the Malaysian Chinese in the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections being “ungrateful” and “unappreciative” of the Barisan Nasional as well as his subsequent statement blaming the Chinese media for twisting his words and distorting his statement out context.

As Muhyiddin had also claimed that Tee Keat as the MCA President had found nothing wrong with his statement in Mingguan Malaysia, I had asked Tee Keat whether what Muhyiddin said was true or otherwise.

If what Muhyiddin said was not true, could Tee Keat get Muhyiddin to own up that his claim that the MCA President had found nothing wrong with his Mingguan Malaysia interview was incorrect and unfounded?

Of course, if Tee Keat had in fact given such a personal assurance to Muhyiddin, it will not be open to Tee Keat to ask Muhyiddin to clarify and retract his statement.

This is probably why Tee Keat had to continue to beat around the bush in his blog, avoiding altogether Muhyiddin’s statement that Tee Keat had told the Deputy Prime Minister that there was nothing wrong in the Mingguan Malaysia interview.

Tee Keat should learn a lesson – he should not tell Muhyiddin and Umno leaders one thing in private and try to say a different thing in public.

He is bound to be caught out, as happened in this case.

Honesty is the best policy!

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor