Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 5^th February 2012: 

Chua Soi Lek should ban MCA members and supporters from attending Perkasa's events  

DAP is shocked at MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's announcement that MCA will not ban its members and supporters from attending any of Perkasa's functions. DAP calls on Chua Soi Lek to reverse this irrational and irresponsible decision and instead ban MCA members and supporters from attending Perkasa's events.

Allowing MCA members and supporters to attend Perkasa's events not only proves MCA's links with Perkasa. By doing so, MCA acknowledges Perkasa has an important role to play in Malaysian political life despite Perkasa's racist and extremist struggle against non-Muslims and non-Malays. Is MCA and Chua so afraid of Perkasa that they dare not even prevent their members from attending Perkasa's functions?

How can Chua and MCA claim to defend the interests of Malaysian Chinese when their members and supporters can go to Perkasa functions that breeds hate against non-Malays in the country and want to reduce them to 2nd-class or 3rd-class citizens? If MCA and Chua have any dignity or honour, no MCA member should be allowed to attend Perkasa events and thereby give credibility to this racist and extremist organization.

What is equally shocking is Chua's defence of Perkasa distributing "white ang pow packets" was not done on purpose. Chua's claim that Perkasa did not distribute white ang pows on purpose was disputed by former Sri Desa MCA branch chairperson Dr Collin Tiew, who has apologized to the Chinese community for speaking in defence of Perkasa and bringing elderly citizens to the Perkasa.

Dr Colin Tiew said Perkasa Chairman Ibrahim Ali was aware of Chinese customs and that the ang pows had to be red, not white as Ibrahim had distributed red ang pows in his parliamentary constituency in Kelantan. Dr Colin Tiew further said that he did tell Ibrahim that white ang pow is not suitable but Ibrahim did not bother. Clearly Perkasa and Chua's claim that they did not distribute the white ang pows on purpose, is not believable that serves to deceive not only oneself but others too.

Clearly Perkasa was deliberately trampling rudely over the sensitivities of the Chinese community by giving white ang pows. Perkasa know they can do so with unhindered impunity because they have the whole-hearted support of UMNO and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for their activities. Witness the failure of Datuk Seri Najib to condemn Perkasa for their insult to the Chinese community, and even rubbed salt into this open wound by saying that this incident can be used as a "social experience" Is this gross insult that has angered the Chinese community merely reduced to the level of a "social experience".

Datuk Seri Najib's reluctance to condemn Perkasa and MCA's refusal to ban its members and supporters from attending Perkasa functions may be caused by the fact that BN had also used white ang pows during the BN Chinese New Year event in Seri Setia, Selangor. MCA Kelana Jaya division chief Ong Chong Swen had not denied that white envelopes with BN logos were distributed during the Chinese New Year event.

It is not too late for Datuk Seri Najib to salvage his 1Malaysia slogan which has been proven to be empty and meaningless when Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pronounced that he is Malay first, and Malaysian second. Datuk Seri Najib should take the bold step to condemn Perkasa for their insensitive act and cut all ties with this racist and extremist organization.

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