Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 6^th December 2011: 

Challenge Najib to prove with facts his hostile warning tot innocent non-Malays not to antagonise the Malays, failing which he might as well issue the death certificate for 1Malaysia 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's should prove with facts his hostile warning to innocent non-Malays not to antagonise the Malays failing which he might as well issue the Death Certificate for 1Malaysia. Najib shocked the nation by playing the race card against non-Malays when in a speech to the Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia's (Pekida) in Shah Alam last night, he warned that the non-Malays must not "cuit" (antagonise) the feelings of Malays and not change what has already been decided upon and discussed.

Najib was stressing that UMNO would not compromise an inch on the special rights of the Malays as enshrined in Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and that only UMNO can defend the Malays. Does playing the race card against non-Malays and wanting to defend Malays gives UMNO the right to be involved in the RM250 million "cows and condos" scandal to a family company of a UMNO Cabinet Minister? Does warning the non-Malays not to antagonise the feelings of the Malays sanction the RM13 billion Port Klang Free Trade Zone scandal or excessive expenditure of RM3.7 billion exposed by the 2010 Auditor-General Report?

The time has come to fight for the aspirations of all Malaysian regardless of race and religion. DAP reject the discriminatory politics of UMNO that insists that we are Malay first, Malaysian second. DAP also condemn UMNO and their allies for treating as traitors and enemies of Malays those who disagree with their racist ideology of Malay first and Malaysian second.

We must not allow UMNO to hijack the Malaysian Constitution to split and and divide Malaysians with enmity and hatred and that it is somehow wrong to fight for all Malaysians. UMNO always cites Article 153 of the Federal Constitution on the special position of the Malays as justification for their racist Malays-only approach. However UMNO invariably fails to mention that Article 153 also mention that the the legitimate interests of other communities must also be protected.

Perkara 153 Perlembagaan Persekutuan

Adalah menjadi tanggungjawab Yang di Pertuan Agung memelihara kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu dan bumiputera mana-mana Negeri Borneo dan kepentingan-kepentingan sah kaum-kaum lain mengikut peruntukan Perkara ini.

Article 153 of the Federal Constitution

It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this article.

In other words, the Malaysian Constitution is about Malaysian First, not Malaysian Second!

UMNO's racist mindset of putting race before nation is the reason why the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the low percentage of non-Malays in the armed forces shows a lack of patriotism. Or the derogatory and racist remarks by school principals who instill hate by calling Indians dogs and Chinese are "pendatang" who should go back to China or the BTN official who call Chinese mata sepet and Indians si botol. Or UMNO leaders openly saying they do not need Chinese and Indian votes.

Worst of all, UMNO's paper Utusan Malaysia even called the bloody tragedy of May 13 1969 where many innocent Malaysians lost their lives a sacred day! How low has UMNO stooped until UMNO can even celebrate the murder of innocent men women and children? Yet no action has been taken against Utusan for such a inhumane and horrifying act of calling May 13 a sacred day and suggesting another May 13.

Recently at the UMNO General Assembly UMNO Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, can threaten Malays with losing their rights because the Chinese community was slowly gaining control of the country's politics and economy or that the DAP are "agents of Christianisation" because Ronnie Liu, Xavier, Elizabeth, Teresa Kok are Selangor State EXCO members.

Despite numerous investigations, the authorities have admitted that there is no process of Christianisation by DAP. Are Christians not qualified to be an EXCO member just because he or she is a Christian? And Ronnie Liu is not even a Christian.

How can the Chinese community be slowly gaining control of the country's politics and economy when the number of Chinese in government service is declining? And the Chinese no longer control the main economic sectors of banking, insurance, automobile, construction, communications and transport.

DAP has never been anti-Malay or anti-Islam. The increase in funding for Islamic affairs in Penang by 3 times what was given by BN under Koh Tsu Koon and the renewal of funding for religious schools that was terminated by UMNO is proof that DAP respects Islam and is fair to all. On action against illegal traders, more than 70% are taken against non-Malays. Under Penang PR's open tender system, 70% of government contracts are won by Malays proving that Malay contractors are competent only the UMNO ones are useless. The Penang state government has not evicted a single Malay kampong house. The only Malay kampong house torn down in Penang is by an UMNO-led koperasi, whose Chairman was also a former UMNO State Assemblyman.

Najib should save and salvage his 1 Malaysia by making 5 important commitments. One, we are Malaysian First. Two, Malaysians deserve to enjoy basic human rights and a civil society. Three, there must be equality of opportunity for all. Four, there must be rule of law where what you know is more important than who you know. Five, we must build integrity and intelligent city communities towards a high-income and knowledge-based economy.

If Najib fails to do so, he might as well immediately issue the death certificate for 1Malaysia.

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