Media statement by Lau Weng San in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 22^nd April 2011:

A mature two-party system is the best way to protect and preserve the rights of all Malaysians including Malaysian Chinese

I regret that some political leaders from certain Chinese-based Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties making racial remarks after the humiliating defeats of Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), a Chinese-based BN component party, in the recently concluded Sarawak state election.

Whether these leaders are from SUPP or Peninsula-based political parties like MCA or Gerakan, it only shows again that their minds are severely infiltrated with narrow racial agenda. They believe that the defeat of Chinese-based BN component parties in any election will only erode the community's representation in the government. They even claim that the opposition is "checking the Chinese with Chinese". I can only say that this is just another excuse for dereliction of responsibility. When the country is independent from colonial rule for more than 50 years, such argument certainly does not hold any ground.

Firstly, it is a fact that Chinese-based BN component parties are not equally treated and respected as equal partner in BN. Irregardless of the number of seats they won, their positions and the number of ministerial and Exco positions in the federal and state governments will remain unchanged. Worst still, they cannot even bring effective changes to BN race-based and lopsided policy.

Secondly, the only way for Malaysia to march forward is to establish a mature two-party political system. Only with such system then Malaysians can enjoy real Parliamentary Democracy, separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judiciary, a world class civil service which is colour-blind, a fair and open economin and education policy and most importantly a judiciary system with integrity. This is the only way for all Malaysians to march forward and it is certainly true for Malaysian Chinese. Therefore this is indeed the best way to preserve our rights as Malaysians.

Thirdly, the March 8th political tsunami has proven that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is capable of running the governments better than Barisan Nasional. PR state governments have launched several welfare programmes which are proven to be effective in helping the people from middle-lower income group. Unlike BN, PR state governments provide institutionalised allocations to mother-tongue education and non Islamic religious organizations. BN owe us an answer as to why it could not have done all these when they were in power for the past 50 years while PR can when it only runs state governments for only three years.

And now after the political tsunami, BN starts emulating PR by launching "1Malaysia" while at the same time provide huge allocaton to Chinese community only during elections to woo Chinese voters.

I urge those BN Chinese leaders who have issued racial statement on the Sarawak state election to examine closely the reasons of urban voters (not necessaily Chinese) abandoning BN instead of pointing fingers at others for their own failures.

* Lau Weng San, DAP Selangor State Organizing Secretary & SA for Kampung Tunku