After being accused of being a racist with regard to his tweet about Dr Mahathir Mohammad purportedly wanting to give the deputy prime minister’s post to Lim Kit Siang, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Rahman Dahlan has denied that his argument smacks of racism.
“It is just that their leadership and thinking make them bad choices (for the post),” he explained in a Twitter posting.
He also tried to explain that his tweet was not racist by asking “I obviously don’t want (PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali or (de facto opposition leader) Anwar Ibrahim to be PM. Now does that make me anti-Malay?
“I also don’t want (PKR president Dr) Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail) to be PM. Does that mean I am anti- women and gender bias?”
But the truth is the way he made his criticisms against the purported claim that Kit Siang will be given deputy prime minister’s post shows clearly his racist attitude.
He had tweeted that Mahathir had claimed the influx of Chinese nationals in Johor could alter the Malaysian political landscape, but the former premier does not realise that appointing a DAP leader as deputy prime minister would change the political landscape as well.
Such argument has clearly showed Rahman Dahlan’s racist attitude and tone.
It would be different if he did not argue using such basis and comparison but the fact that he did so is something that has shown his racist attitude on the issue of deputy prime minister’s position.
He has also said tried to deflect the racist accusation by saying that Kit Siang’s and Guan Eng’s leadership and thinking make them bad choices for the deputy prime minister’s post.
DAP has made it clear and Mahathir has also clarified that DAP did not ask for the post. However it is public knowledge MCA did ask for the post in 2009 and it has always been MCA’s wish to have a Chinese deputy prime minister.
Will Rahman Dahlan support MCA president Datuk Liow Tiong Lai for the post or will he say that Liow like all past MCA presidents are bad choices for the post so as to hide his racist attitude against a Chinese deputy prime minister being appointed?
There is no point for Rahman Dahlan to try to defend his unacceptable racist attitude. He should just be brave enough to admit his mistake and tender his apology to Kit Siang and Guan Eng.