Media statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 21^st April 2011: 

MCA leadership showing itself even more irrelevant after its ignominious rejection by voters in Sarawak state elections

The MCA leadership is showing itself to be even more irrelevant after its ignominious rejection by the Sarawak voters in the Sarawak state elections on Saturday.

MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi had gone to Sarawak as Barisan Nasional paramount Chinese leader and other MCA Ministers and leaders as “heroes” and “saviours” of SUPP but they all returned as pygmies.

One of the biggest mistakes made by SUPP in the recent Sarawak state elections was to expect the MCA and Gerakan leaders to save them, when SUPP leaders should have realized that these very MCA/Gerakan leaders could not save themselves or their own political parties!

This is the reason for the recent extraordinary MCA political gyrations with the MCA President egging on SUPP to boycott the Sarawak state cabinet while a MCA Vice President called on Tan Sri Abdul Taib to quit as Sarawak Chief Minister as he has lost the support of the Chinese community in the state.

All very correct and proper – except they reek of political hypocrisy and raised a mountain of questions, such as what the four MCA Ministers and seven Deputy Ministers are doing in the Federal Cabinet; why Chua did not review MCA’s earlier unprincipled decision in 2008 to be part of government when he took over as MCA President but instead was more interested to get his son appointed as Deputy Minister and elevate his confidantes in government through the Senate backdoor; and whether the MCA leadership would dare to tell Najib to resign as PM as it is asking Taib to quit as Chief Minister?

But the most shocking, irresponsible and despicable MCA gyration occurred when the MCA leadership accused the DAP of “inciting racial sentiment among the Chinese to secure its historic victory” in the Sarawak state elections.

The MCA leadership just does not understand the nature and dynamics of the political awakening in Sarawak – that Sarawakians voted for Pakatan Rakyat in the 15 seats won by the DAP and PKR as well as in the other constitiuencies not as Chinese, Dayaks, Malays or Melanaus but for change, justice; equality; clean, honest and accountable government; and an end to the rampant corruption, land grabs and gross abuses of power.

Sarawak voters are pioneers in the new politics based on issues of justice, equality and integrity rising above race and religion; while the MCA leaders are still mired in the politics of race and money which will despatch them to political oblivion.

But what is most shocking and deplorable - at best the insensitivity and at worst the complicity of the MCA leadership with Utusan Malaysia, helping it to stoke the rabid extremism of Umno’s official organ in its unceasing campaign against Najib’s 1Malaysia policy, particularly in its anti-national “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call.

Time has come for the MCA leaders to end their political gyrations and acrobatics since their hapless Sarawak outing and declare whether they are prepared to join forces with DAP and Pakatan Rakyat to tell Utusan and Umno in no uncertain terms that the “1Melayu, 1Bumi” call is totally contradictory and against the 1Malaysia policy propounded by the Prime Minister – that we are in 2011 and must look into the future and not in 1946 only looking back into the past!

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