‘Lim’s arrogance will fuel uproar’
KOTA BARU: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng continues to receive flak for issuing official statements in Mandarin, this time from a Pas leader who said yesterday the move will fuel hatred among the people.
Pas secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said Lim’s action could cause anxiety and suspicion, as well as disrupt unity.
Lim was criticised recently after he issued a statement related to the Tun Razak Exchange in Bahasa Melayu, English and Mandarin.
“This is unprecedented and has never been done in the history of the country’s administration, where a minister publishes a government official statement in Mandarin even as a translation.
“Pas views Lim’s reply on the issue on Facebook, which was published in Mandarin to defend his action, as arrogant,” he said.
Takiyuddin said Lim appeared to have “de- l i b e r a t ely” misinterpreted Article 152 of the Federal Constitution by saying that “In the spirit of the Constitution, what’s wrong with issuing a translated media statement in Mandarin?”.
He said Pas did not deny the right of people to use Mandarin in the country.
He reiterated that Bahasa Melayu was the country’s official language and that only it should be used for government affairs.
He said Lim should have complied with the government’s official arrangement set out in the constitution.
“There are many administrative circulars that state that Bahasa Melayu takes precedence when it comes to government-related affairs. Pas urges YB (Lim) not to play with fire by fuelling public anger with his arrogance and lowering the status of Bahasa Melayu as the nation’s official language in the name of ‘New Malaysia’.”