10 September 2023

Press statement by MCA Vice President Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker

After "Umno's lapdog" label, now only DAP recognises demeaning term despite years of slandering MCA as “Umno’s running dog”



1. DAP MP Syahredzan Johan demanded Muar MP Syed Saddiq to retract his remark that DAP is now Umno’s lap dog. He tweeted : https://x.com/syahredzan/status/1700027901541044537?s=46   

“Ya, saya tahu orang lain dalam parti saya pernah guna istilah ini pada orang lain. It is still offensive at the time, and now I realise how offensive it is being at the receiving end. There is no logic to being offended, it just is.”

It is good that Syahredzan admits that calling a fellow human being a dog or a snake is demeaning. However, Khairy and Syed Saddiq calling DAP a lapdog in view of recent developments is mild compared to abuses thrown by DAP at MCA , MIC and Umno in the past.

2. As long as DAP does not apologise and withdraw their 60 over years of abuses calling MCA "Umno’s Running Dogs” , MCA will always be disadvantaged vis-a-vis DAP. There’s no equal playing field when DAP uses false promises and crude abuses against their political rivals via their cytro troopers and public speaker. DAP has been standing on a “higher moral ground” by repeatedly calling MCA names and as Umno’s ^running dog" whereas we now have been vindicated and proven to be doing what is politically correct and Constitutionally provided  during these eras :

(i) When Tunku Abdul Rahman replaced English as the official language and changed to Bahasa Malaysia “sebagai bahasa rasmi” , MCA was called "Umno’s running dog" by DAP leaders and followers. DAP further aggravated the issue by promising to return English as the official language as well as recognising Mandarin and Tamil as official languages along Singapore’s policies in their “Cultural Democratic Policy” in 1968.

(ii) When Tun Abdul Razak introduced the New Economic Policy, National Cultural Policies and Bumiputera quotas etc, MCA was accused of “selling out the Chinese rights” and a "running dog."

(iii) When Tun Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim introduced “nationalism” and “Islamisation”, DAP accused MCA of trying to “Melayukan” Chinese and not protecting the Chinese identity. But when DAP first tasted power in 2018, they introduced JAWI khat and now they introduced the 40 Hadith modules. MCA does not call them names like “puppy” or “bitch”.

3. Today DAP has made a reversal by embracing Zahid Hamidi whom they called “Indon” , “Kleptocrats” and many other names . They have instead shifted their attack on Hadi Awang and PAS in a similar attack on Umno as before.

4. In their pre-election call to the people not to vote MCA and Khairy Jamaluddin (who served the community and is a popular leader) , DAP alluded that a vote for MCA and Khairy is a vote for “the Indonesian” in reference to Zahid Hamidi. These attacks and abuses have been very effective for them against their opponents.

5. Now DAP has also made a reversal of prioritising their fight against corruption and embraced “kleptocracy” by demonising their new target PAS as “Talibanese” and must be feared similar to their “Asalkan Bukan Umno” years.

6. The recent DNAA of Zahid  caused public uproar and a public sense of desperation and feeling cheated. DAP supporters despaired, felt cheated and scammed. Some have started to realise that DAP is bending backwards and stooping too low to please Umno, culminating with Khairy Jamaluddin and Syed Saddiq calling DAP “Umno’s lapdog”.

7. I am glad to note that DAP cannot stomach this when they had done worse for decades. What’s a “lapdog” compared to being called a “running dog” for having the foresight to acknowledge and accept the political reality of the times? DAP realised too late and it is now “copy and paste” MCA’s past narratives of sacrifices and compromises for the sake of national unity and harmony.

8. DAP is now playing victim and feeling insulted when they are at the receiving end of name calling. In asking for Syed Saddiq to withdraw his statement , DAP must first repent by apologising to MCA for the many years of abuses  as an example for Syed Saddiq to follow.

9. As a lawyer, Syahredzan should remind himself of the “clean hands doctrine”  based on the maxim of equity, which states that one “who comes into equity must come with clean hands.”

Quoting the late Karpal Singh who had said that Anwar and the Lim father-and-son team must “bertaubat” , I would like to say this again “DAP must show remorse and apologise to MCA!” DAP must “taubat” to be clean  and  trusted.

-MCA online-