Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 22^th April 2011: 

Just do it Chua Soi Lek! Tell UMNO to direct its paper Utusan Malaysia to withdraw the 1Melayu, 1 Bumi Movement or MCA would withdraw from BN 

Will MCA President Dato Seri Chua Soi Lek dare to ask UMNO to direct its paper Utusan Malaysia to withdraw and apologise to all Malaysians for practicing a form of apartheid by inciting racial segregation and hatred in calling for 1Melayu, 1 Bumi movement? Just Do It, Chua Soi Lek. Tell UMNO to direct Utusan Malaysia to withdraw and apologise for the 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement or MCA would withdraw from BN.

UMNO's paper call for 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement is a grievous insult to all Malaysians because it serves to be exclusive and dominate other races to the extent of reducing these Malaysian citizens, including non-Malay bumis from East Malaysia, as 2nd or 3rd-class citizens.

DAP and PR parties have never fought any elections on the basis of Malay unity, Chinese unity, Iban unity or Kadazan unity. Instead it is BN parties that tries to divide and rule by stressing on Malay unity, Chinese unity or Indian unity and merely paying lip service to bangsa Malaysia. At every election DAP and PR parties have stressed on Malaysian unity.

As a result of SUPP losing 12 seats to DAP in the recent Sarawak general elections, Utusan Malaysia is launching the 1Melayu,1 bumi movement as a lesson to teach those who voted for the opposition, particularly the Chinese community. Like BN, Utusan Malaysia is trying to racialise the election results even though DAP won because of support from all communities in Sarawak. Facts and figures do not lie and have shown that the swing to the opposition amongst the non-Chinese voters is higher than the Chinese swing to the opposition.

However in order to hide the real reasons of their loss, namely corruption and demands for Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to step down, UMNO and Utusan Malaysia is pitting the results as a conflict between the Chinese community and the government.

Any failure by Chua to do so would show that he is a man who dares to admit his fault, dare to speak and dare to walk the talk is just an empty sandiwara devoid of substance. Just like Chua Soi Lek's call for SUPP to reject any cabinet posts in Sarawak because of losses in the Sarawak elections, is fundamentally flawed because of three reasons.

Firstly, massive voter disgruntlement in Sarawak is across the board and not directed towards the SUPP in particular, but instead towards the thirty-year rule of their Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, and the BN State Government in general.

Secondly, I am surprised that for someone with his experience, Chua Soi Lek appears to have missed the very obvious sentiment on the ground. Throughout the entire state, Sarawakians of every community are clamouring for 'change', and this has nothing to do with race.

If the MCA is so concerned about racial issues and truly believes in the principle of the exercise, then we wonder why they are not practising what they preach by insisting that their sole assemblymen in Perak and Negri Sembilan relinquish their Exco posts because the voters have clearly abandoned their party. This can also be said for MCA's four Cabinet Ministers.

In his latest remark, Chua Soi Lek claims that it was not his idea but former president Ong Tee Keat's to maintain the Cabinet positions. As Ong Tee Keat had correctly pointed out, it was Ong Ka Ting and not Ong Tee Keat who was president at the time. Ong also reminded Chua as MCA President, he can still direct MCA Ministers to withdraw from Cabinet and the sole MCA State EXCO in Perak and Negeri Sembilan respectively to resign. Clearly Chua Soi Lek is intent on playing internal MCA factional politics.

To date Chua has not dared to answer Ong Tee Keat. Why the silence? As someone who has always prided himself as a person who 'dares to speak up' or 'dares to admit the truth', he should now prove to all Malaysians that he also dares to walk the talk. Or else stop all these nonsense talk when he does not say what he means nor mean what he say.

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