22 May 2017

Press statement by MCA Religious Harmony Bureau Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker

DAP’s u-turn saga – Where is PAS welfare state now?

DAP Lim Guan Eng's latest attempt to "white wash" or exonerate responsibility for their cooperation, empowering and undertaking on behalf of PAS is indeed laughable. We all knew what DAP did in the previous two general elections in their attempt to gain and wrest power. Their undertaking on behalf of PAS and throwing political caution to the wind has been classic DAP's politics.

DAP had gambled off the political rights and standing of the Non-Muslims and Non-Malays since 1969 when they won handsomely in every general election. Can Lim Guan Eng or DAP tell us what the minority non-Muslims and Non-Malays have gained every time DAP increased in seats at the expense of MCA?

Post 1969 - We lost a few important Cabinet posst such as Minister of Trade etc culminating with the loss of the Finance Ministry which was in the hands of MCA.

In 2008 and 2013, we see the emergence of PAS into a national threat as a result of DAP's empowerment of PAS by exchanging votes between PAS and DAP which allowed DAP to wrest many seats from both MCA, MIC and Gerakan etc.

Now that PAS (a party in the backyards of the East Coast and north Peninsular) has emerged as a party with national influence as a result of DAP's support, DAP is saying UMNO is better than PAS to escape any responsibility for their empowerment of PAS.

In the Rocket’s continued u-turns for political expediency rather than working together to protect the rights of non-Muslims and Malaysians in general, DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng latest’s salvo that “PAS more extremist, racist and chauvinistic than UMNO (The Malay Mail Online, 21 May 2017) is classic DAP’s twist and turns.

Now, DAP is copying and doing a cut-and-paste of MCA’s warning that “PAS is a threat to our national wellbeing.” I have said many times that between UMNO and PAS, it is like the "devil and the deep blue sea" and DAP's attempt at painting PAS as innocent and pure compared to UMNO during the "Asalkan Bukan Umno" and " UBAH" years were politically irresponsible and should be condemned.

At least Lim has now acknowledged that UMNO “does not talk" the way PAS does.  (The Malay Mail Online, 21 May 2017).”

MCA had repeatedly warned voters against balloting for PAS when PAS never minced its words and actions of their intentions to implement hudud law and to have a theocratic state by amending the Federal Constitution.

Instead of supporting MCA’s cautions, Lim Guan Eng inked an agreement on 29 April 2013 (just six days before going to the polls on 5 May 2013) with PAS represented by its President Dato’ Sri Hadi Awang that “PAS has the right to fights for its concept of an Islamic state.”

It was MCA which warned and stated that based on theocratic regimes worldwide, despite these countries having Cabinets and elections, they also have a Council of Elders (similar to PAS Syura Council) consisting of religious clerics who enjoy absolute power and can override decisions made by the government.

The Bagan MP’s memory is so conveniently short that he should be reminded that in the 2008 and 2013 general elections, it was Guan Eng and his father Lim Kit Siang who openly embraced Hadi Awang for the cameras, just to convince and lull non-Muslim to vote PAS.

In spite of all cautionary calls by MCA, DAP continued to whitewash PAS as a party that was no more keen to establish an Islamist state, but to implement a “PAS for All” welfare state which was just a façade.

Prior to becoming BFFs, Kit Siang had long lampooned Dr Mahathir Mohammad as “racist”, “tyrant”, “thief” and even likened him to Uganda’s Idi Amin and Tanzania’s Robert Mugabe for not relinquishing power for so long and for refusing to resign.

DAP had demonised UMNO, but now claims “PAS is worse than UMNO.” So since DAP was in an unholy yet strategic alliance with PAS, DAP should label and acknowledge itself as “worse than PAS which is worse than UMNO.”

Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker
MCA Religious Harmony Bureau Chairman
MCA Central Committee Member
MCA Kuantan Division Chairman

-MCA online-