Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 3^rd June 2011: 

MCA's failure to ensure overseas scholarships are given to the 86 top SPM students proves that Chua Soi Lek has failed his own test on whether MCA should be in or out of Cabinet and government - there is no difference! 

DAP will not bow to threats from MCA, which is adopting Perkasa's methods of using race, to cover up their failure to fulfil their promises to obtain overseas scholarships for the 86 top SPM students. Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong had described this year's awards as "the most nonsensical ever" where top SPM students were given scholarships for diploma courses whilst those with lower grades got overseas scholarships.

In response, MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had insisted that all top SPM students should get overseas scholarships. However this was rejected by Cabinet which awarded them local scholarships and refused to release merit list of successful overseas scholars and their results.

Instead of explaining their failure or attacking BN's unfair treatment for our top students, MCA has chosen to attack the DAP when it is PSD and not DAP that denied the top SPM students overseas scholarships. Clearly MCA is inarticulate, indifferent, indecisive and ineffective when it comes to righting wrongs and correcting injustices committed on top SPM students by BN, but ever ready to blame the DAP.

DAP has never turned this issue into a racial issue as claimed by Chua but considered this as a failure by the BN government to appreciate Malaysian talents regardless of race and religion. How can Chua look at this problem as a racial when of the 86 students who appealed, three were Malay Bumiputeras, one Sarawak Bumiputera, 71 Chinese and 11 Indians.

Is Chua saying that Datuk Wee Ka Siong is wrong for saying that the award this year is the most nonsensical ever? Wee had brought up this issue on a yearly basis, but still there is no permanent solution. Or must we wait until there is no MCA for there to be a final and permanent solution that would do justice to top students. MCA's failure to ensure overseas scholarships are given to the 86 top SPM students proves that Chua has failed his own test on whether MCA should be in our out of Cabinet and government - there is no difference!

MCA may be afraid to speak up on this issue in and outside Parliament. However DAP MPs will not be cowed by MCA's threats but will pursue this matter at the coming Parliamentary meeting on 13 June 2011.

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