2011 DAP Wesak Day Message by DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 17^th May 2011: 

2011 DAP Wesak Day Message  

This year's Wesak Day's theme as announced by the Malaysian Buddhist Association of, "Cultivate Loving Kindness, Foster Harmony" reminds us that love and blessings is not just for Buddhists but for all mankind including Muslims, Christians and Hindus.

Only if we cleanse hatred from our hearts and fill our soul with love can we find peace, balance and harmony with our lives and with each other. For this reason DAP calls on all Malaysians to stand up for peace and harmony by uniting against extremists and harmony that wants to see Malaysia burn with hatred and violence.

Malaysians are shocked and outraged at the inaction by the Home Ministry against UMNO-owned paper Utusan Malaysia, for publishing dangerous lies of a Christian conspiracy with DAP to set up a Christian state, that is clearly intended to incite hatred against Christians. The BN government has also refused to act against Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali for making Christians an object of hate by calling for a crusade(perang jihad) against Christians. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamudin Tun Hussein Onn even refused to call Ibrahim Ali an extremist for launching this crusade against Christians.

Whatever our political beliefs, the time has come to unite against such dangerous extremism and racism. DAP is willing to work with all Malaysians including non-UMNO component members in BN to oppose this crusade and demand action against Utusan Malaysia and Ibrahim Ali's reckless opportunism and irresponsible adventurism.

Are non-Malays and non-Muslims an easy target to be blamed and kicked around based on lies just to distract attention from the real problems affecting 27 million Malaysians? Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin signalled the inevitability of price hikes when he announced yesterday that the country could no longer maintain the current subsidies which has doubled this year from RM10.32 billion to RM20.58 billion, with RM18 billion for petroleum-related sectors.

Instead of addressing the failure to remove gas subsidies benefiting Independent Power Producers(IPPs) that cost RM 19 billion annually, Perkasa is allowed to distract attention by talking of a crusade against Christians. The price hikes and difficult economic livelihood of the people are real issues that must be addressed.

Whether in Cabinet or outside Cabinet,the time has come for all Malaysians whether Muslims or non-Muslims to stand together to reject hatred unequivocally, abhor extremists and universally condemn violence. We must all pray and speak up for peace and harmony, prosperity and justice, public accountability and good governance.

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