Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 27^th April 2011: 

MCA would claw back lost electoral support if he can pluck up 10% of his bravery in fighting DAP to fight BN's corruption and cronyism and UMNO's racist policies as such as 1Melayu, 1 Bumi 

MCA President Chua Soi Lek would claw back MCA's lost electoral support if he is can pluck up 10% of his bravery in fighting DAP to fight BN's cronyism, and corruption as well as UMNO's racist policies such as 1Melayu, 1Bumi. DAP does not see Chua's enthusiasm or courage in fighting corruption, cronyism or racist policies of 1Melayu,1 bumi in the same emotional manner as he fights DAP with self-contradictory slogans of 'Chinese should not be fighting Chinese'.

By also claiming that the DAP's participation in election and victories against MCA will result in reduced Chinese representation in the Government, Chua Soi Lek has revealed that his party is unable to comprehend the basic nature of democracy. Not only that, he is also disrespecting the right of voters to choose the best representative for themselves, regardless of race.

The DAP rejects the philosophy of race-based politics, and strongly believes that elections should not be racialised. Unlike the MCA, the DAP believes that elections empower voters to exercise their democratic rights to choose representatives based on the principles of justice, truth, freedom and good governance. Elections is about democracy not about race; it is about choosing the best candidate who can best serve and represent voters not about race; it is about whose policies promotes justice, freedom and truth not about race.

It is a fact that the DAP does not only field Chinese candidates. We have the highest number of Indian elected representatives from any party in the country, even more than the MIC. We have also fielded candidates of every culture and creed, because the topmost priority for us when it comes to candidate selection is character, qualification and principles, not race.

By Chua's perverted logic of elections as "Chinese should not fight Chinese", MCA should not be fielding any candidates in Penang because as he knows, the Chief Minister of Penang is a Chinese. Based on his logic, since Chinese should not fight Chinese, then MCA should not contest against DAP's Chinese candidates. When I challenged Chua Soi Lek to practice what he preaches by applying the same logic of "Chinese should not be fighting Chinese" on himself and MCA, Chua claims that DAP wants a monopoly of power.

However, DAP has never used the "Chinese should not fight Chinese" card against MCA because we believe we are all Malaysians who should see problems as Malaysian problems common to all and not as a Chinese or a Malay problem.

As for calling the SUPP to withdraw from the Sarawak State Government because their Chinese candidates suffered huge losses, former MCA President Datuk Ong Tee Keat has exposed Chua's double-standards by asking why Chua fails to use his power as MCA President, to order MCA Ministers to withdraw from Cabinet or direct its sole assemblyman in Negri Sembilan and Perak to withdraw from the respective State Exco. To-date Chua has not dared to respond to Ong.

Chua should conserve his energies to oppose crony projects such as the nearly RM37 billion MRT projects without open tender. Or even the latest 1Malaysia free email which was supposed to be free but yet not free as the government has to pay 50 cents for each email sent. Chua should also energetically question the RM52 billion bumi shares share scandal and the RM888 billion of illicit or corruption money illegally siphoned off from Malaysia over 9 years.

Better still Chua should focus his party's full energies to insist that Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin withdraw support and condemns the 1 Melayu 1 bumi movement propagated by UMNO's paper Utusan Malaysia, as contrary to 1 Malaysia. Or does Chua only dare to attack the DAP but not UMNO's top leaders when UMNO leaders are wrong for following racial and extremist policies?

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan