'Why not say Chinese are 'rich' due to BN?'

 

Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek has questioned Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari for saying the BN is responsible for the plight of Penang’s poor Malays.

Instead, he questioned why Zairil did not say that the state’s Chinese are ‘rich’ due to BN’s previous administration.

As such, the Kemaman MP said the statement by Zairil  was biased and racist in nature.

“Why say the problem of the Malays in Penang was inherited from BN’s administration? Why didn’t he (Zairil, left) say that the success of the Chinese was from BN’s success?

“But I know that he will say that the Chinese are successful because they are good and smart and that the Malays are the way they are because the government is at fault.

“His statement shows how shallow he is and the statement was biased and racist,” Shabery told a press conference today.

He asserted that individuals like Zairil only "hide" behind organisations which are “racist without racism” as they claim they are not racist, yet there are racist elements in the policies they champion.

“These kind of people hide behind meritocracy but are actually racist. ‘Racist without racism’ is something that needs to be scrutinised as it happens everywhere."

Shabery last week was quoted by Umno Online, as saying that a "particular state" was hiding behind the policy of meritocracy in order to subtly discriminate Malays.

Zairil in his response, said the Pakatan government in Penang does not purely promote meritocratic policies but also needs-based policies.