BN practices selective prosecution, double standards and even outright racism

DAP strongly disapproves the act of a few individuals who stepped on pictures of Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak in Dataran Merdeka during the Merdeka eve celebration in Kuala Lumpur. However, if Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein can promise that the Home Ministry will act decisively and expedite the legal process on the perpetrators of the provocative act, will the same action be taken against BN supporters who commit such acts on pictures of PR leaders?

To date no court action is taken against these BN political desperados who showed disrespect on portraits of PR leaders? Clearly BN practices selective prosecution, double standards and even outright racism by not expressing the same indignation and demands for stern action against extremist Perkasa members who burnt or stepped on my portrait outside my office in Komtar and performed funeral rites on my portrait outside my house.

Again why was no action taken against those who behaved in a similar manner against Bersih co-Chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan outside her home? What is sad is that non-Malay BN component Ministers are behaving so cowardly by demanding action when the Prime Minister’s picture is stepped on but not when a Chinese Chief Minister’s picture is abused.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr KohTsu Koon said that the stepping on the Prime Minister’s pictures showed how disrespectful the Opposition is towards the country. First of all, it is irresponsible to blame the Opposition for an act that was clearly not our doing. Secondly, KohTsu Koon’s condemnation of the Prime Minister’s picture-stomping incident while keeping mum when my own picture was burnt and funeral rites performed with my image only exposes Koh’s double standards and subservience to UMNO.

Neither has Koh pressed for any action to be taken on similar protests against Datuk Ambiga who had to suffer the indignity of having a “butt-dance” performed as well as a “burger protest” in which beef burgers were grilled outside her home despite the fact that she is a Hindu and a vegetarian. Is it acceptable only when it affects non-Malay leaders such as Datuk Ambiga and myself? It appears that non-Malay PR leaders like Datuk Ambiga and myself will be persecuted and humiliated while opposition PR Malay leaders will be hounded with lies of sex scandals.

This reveals the attitude of the BN and serves as a grave warning to Malaysians that the BN is prepared to use exploit extremist racial and divisive politics to win the next General Election.

The real tragedy of non-Malay BN Ministers like Koh Tsu Koon is not just his subservience to UMNO but that he has trained a new generation of Gerakan leaders to be equally subservient to UMNO leaders until humiliation of non-Malay leaders is acceptable as compared to UMNO leaders.

Lim Guan Eng DAP Secretary-General & MP for Bagan