Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in DAP Headquarters in Penang on Monday, 2^nd May 2011: 

MCA has no respect for democracy when MCA dares to help UMNO threaten and punish Chinese voters who fail to support BN but dare not threaten and punish UMNO for its unilateral invitation to PAS to join BN to promote Malay and Islamic unity 

MCA has no respect for democracy when MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek dares to help UMNO threaten and punish Chinese voters who fail to support BN but dare not threaten and punish UMNO for its unilateral invitation to PAS to join BN to promote Malay and Islamic unity. Clearly this is a classic case of double-standards where voters are punished for practicing democracy and the freedom of choice whereas a dictatorial UMNO can escape unpunished for making unilateral decisions on BN's behalf without first consulting and getting approval from BN component members like MCA.

UMNO is BN and BN is UMNO. Once again UMNO and Chua has proven that whether there is or not any representation by MCA in government is irrelevant. MCA representation clearly does not serve the Chinese or Malaysians but serve only UMNO.

Similarly BN, MCA and UMNO's is exposed as playing racial and extremist politics by only talking about Chinese unity, Malay unity or Islamic unity at the expense of 1 Malaysia or Malaysian unity. To date neither the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's focus on Malay and Islamic unity nor his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin support of "1Melayu, 1 bumi" or "I am Malay first and Malaysian second" is consistent with 1 Malaysia.

Instead of justifying such self-contradictory positions by UMNO, Chua tried to provoke both non-Malay and Malay sentiments by stating that he will vote for PKR if PKR can revoke Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and abolish Malay special position. This is contrary to PR or DAP's position of respecting Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

DAP has consistently asked for the full significance of Article 153 to be practiced whereby not just the special position of the Malays but the legitimate rights of other races be safeguarded. Instead BN leaders have used this Article not to enrich and protect Malaysians but to enrich themselves contrary to the basic principles of accountability and transparency.

Article 153 has been used by UMNO to equate the special position of Malays with special rights to quotas and crony projects for UMNO leaders such as the RM 52 billion bumi share scandal which was "hijacked" and not distributed to ordinary Malays. Similarly MCA leaders in BN has also used the provision of safeguarding the legitimate rights of the non-Malays under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to mean the right to engage in dishonest business activities at the expense of the public as shown by the RM 13.5 billion Port Klang Free Trade Zone scandal.

How serious the extent of corruption in Malaysia can be seen by the Washington-based Global Financial Integrity Report which revealed that Malaysia lost RM 888 billion from illegal funds outflow from 2000-2008? So huge is this illegal funds outflow from Malaysia that if this RM888 billion was distributed to every single Malaysian man, woman and child each MyKad holder would receive RM33,000/-!

No one believes MCA would carry out its threat to reject positions or posts should the voters reject MCA again at the next general elections. After all if voters have rejected BN, why is it that MCA dare not withdraw from BN? Whether MCA wins big or loses big in general elections, MCA would continue to be given 4 minor Ministerial posts.

Just like Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who promised during the 2008 general elections that he would reject any back-door appointment as Senator to become a Minister or SUPP's Datuk Wong Soon Koh who secretly accepted appointment as Sarawak State Minister in defiance of his party, no MCA leader would reject the opportunity for such high posts that they have been fighting for all their political career.

Chua Soi Lek has been exposed as an unprincipled leader by ex-MCA President Datuk Ong Tee Keat for Chua not practicing what he preaches by directing its sole Assemblyman and EXCO in Perak or Negeri Sembilan to resign. Neither has Chua the courage to direct its 4 Ministers in Cabinet to resign as MCA lost badly in the 2008 general elections. This agains confirms MCA's struggle is not about principles but for positions, not fighting for the people but for posts.

Malaysians should reject such racial and extremist politics by UMNO and MCA. DAP believes Malaysians would also reject politics of fear and intimidation, reaffirming instead our basic democratic right to freely choose our elected representatives based on their performance and not be forced to support bad governance.

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