Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 5^th May 2011: 

MCA trying to hide its ineffectiveness in improving the livelihood of the people and complete failure to prevent rising costs as shown by the 20 cents increase in RON 97 petrol to RM2.90 per liter 

Former Wanita chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz's rejection of Utusan Malaysia and Perkasa's 1 Melayu, 1 Bumi movement because it will threaten Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's 1 Malaysia is not echoed by other top UMNO leaders. In fact, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin has refused to disagree with the 1Melayu,1 bumi movement or even repeat Najib's evasive answer of it being a only personal opinion of Utusan Malaysia's editors.

DAP regrets that instead of mounting a campaign against Utusan Malaysia provocative, extremist and dangerous ideology, MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has chosen instead to label DAP as real racists. What happened to MCA's previous loud calls to boycott Utusan?

Has this latest MCA boycott campaign quietly fizzled out because of fear of Muhyiddin warnings that boycotting Utusan Malaysia could risk muzzling the voice of the Malay community as Utusan represented the voice of the Malays? It is inconceivable that a newspaper that endorses hatred, violence, racial dominance or supremacy and wants to celebrate the bloody May 13 tragedy that killed innocent Malaysians as a holy day, can represent the voice of the Malays.

No one is surprised that MCA has once again shown that it would do UMNO's bidding by abandoning its proposed boycott Utusan campaign and obediently heed the "advice" given by Muhyiddin. However, it is surprising that MCA has instead decided to launch into a ferocious and rabid attack on DAP as the real racists. Clearly MCA feels that DAP is easier to bully than Utusan Malaysia a classic case of fearing the wicked and bullying the good.

MCA has no right to label DAP as racists when DAP is a multi-racial party fighting for all Malaysians regardless of race, religion, gender or even political affiliation. This is proven by PR's good governance and record of treating all equally. Instead it is MCA and UMNO that are the real racists for fighting only for the Chinese or only for the Malays respectively.

There is no need for MCA to use the "empty fortress" strategm by threatening and frightening the Chinese voters to vote for MCA or else there will be no Chinese representation in government. MCA hopes to claw back popular support by using this "empty fortress" strategy to force the Chinese community to turn and run away from DAP.

MCA can easily regain lost popular support if MCA dares to fight the injustices, abuses of power and corruption perpetrated by UMNO. Sadly MCA has chosen to submit to UMNO's dominance and play UMNO's racial game of divide and rule. How can Liow Tiong Lai claim that this historic decision is a democratic one when it strikes against the basic democratic right of the voters to choose freely without fear of favour?

MCA is trying to distract attention from its ineffectiveness to improve the livelihood of the people and complete failure to prevent rising costs as shown by the 20 cents increase in RON 97 petrol to RM2.90 per liter.

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