Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 30^th November 2011: 

Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Ahmad Maslan should stop creating enmity and hatred 

UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and UMNO Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan is embarking on a dangerous game of lies against minority Malaysians as a clear and present threats to frighten the Malays and justify why the Malays must return back UMNO. Both UMNO leaders must stop using the Christians and the Chinese as soft targets to create enmity and hatred against these innocent Malaysians.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was reported as exploiting the race card when he urged Umno to defend the Malay race, culture and institutions from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and labelled DAP as an anti-Islam and anti-Malay force. DAP challenges Muhyiddin to show proof of his allegations and that DAP's agenda is form a republic. This is seditious and a blatant lie!

Has Muhyiddin and UMNO run out of ideas that when scandals are exposed within government, then this expose by DAP is an attack on the Malays, never mind that the Malays that have also lost out on financial scandals? Is Muhyiddin racist approach of being a Malay first, and Malaysian second sufficient to ignore principles of democracy, integrity, accountability and transparency?

DAP believes that a majority of Malaysians comprising both Malays and non-Malays rejects this implication that a racial approach justifies lies and financial scandals, such the cows and condos scandal involving an UMNO Minister or makes irrelevant the 2010 Auditor-General criticism of RM 3.7 billion over-expenditure in government departments.

DAP has never been anti-Malay or anti-Islam. The increase in funding for Islamic affairs in Penang and renewal of funding for religious schools that was terminated by UMNO is proof that DAP respect Islam and is fair to all. 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.

It makes political sense for UMNO to be anti-Chinese, anti-Indian or anti-Christians but it is political suicide for any political party to be anti-Malay or anti-Islam. DAP does not believe in political suicide but is committed towards national reconciliation and collaboration.

Where is the moderate approach promised by the Prime Minister's 1 Malaysia when UMNO Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan can threaten Malays with losing their rights because the the Chinese community was slowly gaining control of the country's politics and economy or that DAP does not even respect the royal institution by refusing royal titles of Datukship.

DAP leaders have never pursued royal titles of Datukships. Does that makes us disrespectful of royal institutions just because we do not behave like BN leaders in lusting after titles? If so, then is the late Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghafar Baba also disrespectful because he refused to accept royal titles too when he was in active politics.

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.

Ahmad even lied 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.

For Ahmad to single out the Chinese and the Christians as threats to Malays is no different from what Hitler did in Nazi Germany to frighten Germans to support his rule as an absolute dictator. Innocent minorities suffered in Germany under Hitler. It is morally repugnant that UMNO is willing to see innocent minorities of Chinese and Christians suffer from such lies so that UMNO can get back the support of Malays.

This climate of fear, enmity and hatred by UMNO is not only against 1 Malaysia but destroys national unity and racial harmony. We know what Hitler did to Germany. Malaysians must stand together in the next general elections and not allow UMNO to do the same to Malaysia.

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