Chua: Teach DAP a lesson
Party has done enough damage to Chinese community, says MCA chief
IPOH: It’s time for the Chinese to teach DAP a lesson for instigating the community to fight against each other, said Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
The MCA president said the strategy, with which the Opposition had survived on for 40 years, undermined the rights and interests of the community.
He said the damage was very clear after the last general election when DAP managed to convince the Chinese that they had no choice but to support the Opposition.
The non-Muslims in PAS-led Kedah and Kelantan, in particular, saw their rights and interests being eroded, Dr Chua added.
“A vote for DAP is in fact a vote for PAS. In Perak, the Mentri Besar was (chosen) from PAS immediately after the last election, though DAP won 18 out of 31 state seats under Pakatan Rakyat. PAS and PKR have a combination of 13 seats,” he said when opening the Perak MCA anniversary celebrations here yesterday.
In Kedah and Kelantan, Dr Chua said DAP had been keeping mum over the issue of non-Muslims having Islamic laws imposed on them, from those concerning food, attire, music and business to social activities.
He said DAP would brush aside the issue, dismissing them as petty and an “old tune” by the MCA.
“Is it a small matter having our rights and freedom as non-Muslims eroded gradually?” he asked.
On education, Dr Chua said DAP, which claimed to be a champion for Chinese education, had not done anythingwhenthe Selangor Government imposed all sorts of conditions to disrupt the construction of two Chinese primary schools in the state by the Federal Government.
PAS-led Kedah, he noted, also imposed unreasonable restrictions on permits for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations, including requiring female performers on stage to be schoolgirls aged between 13 and 18 and that the songs must not be “hot” or modern.
Dr Chua said DAP owed the Chinese an answer to all these negative developments as it had convinced them to support the Opposition.
On preparations for the general election into its last lap now, Dr Chua urged MCA members to continue serving the people well and explain to them the rationale in supporting Barisan Nasional.
The country under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is on the right track and the various transformation programmes had shown encouraging results, he said.
The Prime Minister needed the people’s support and encouragement to continue with his plans for the country, he added.