KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 - DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang has disputed the deputy prime minister's denial that he called the Chinese voters in Bukit Gantang "ungrateful" and told him to apologise to the Chinese media for accusing them of twisting his words.
Lim also raised a new issue over the interview, saying that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should apologise for stating that part of the non-Malay community saw the toppling of the Pakatan Rakyat state government in Perak in racial terms as a Chinese government being toppled by a Malay government.
Muhyiddin had responded to the barrage of criticisms by blaming the Chinese media for twisting his remarks in an interview with the Malay newspaper Mingguan Malaysia, saying that he used the words "didn't appreciate" to describe the Chinese community's attitude to the Barisan Nasional and not "ungrateful."
Lim opined out that blaming the media is a "contemptible ploy of unprincipled politicians" and that the translation used in the Chinese media is accurate."Muhyiddin said both, "unappreciative" ("tidak ada penghargaan terhadap apa yang kita lakukan") and "ungrateful" ("sepatutnya mereka membalas budi")," said Lim in a statement to the media.
"Who should now be sent back to school, Muhyiddin himself or the Chinese media reporters and editors?"
The veteran lawmaker added that he was "outraged and shocked" over Muhyiddin's claims that there were "racists" among the Chinese in Bukit Gantang who viewed the power grab by the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Perak as a toppling of a Chinese government by a Malay government and called on the deputy prime minister to substantiate his claims, failing which, the latter should apologise.
Muyhiddin said in his interview that "part of the community viewed it (the ouster of the Perak state government) from a racist angle, that a Chinese government has been toppled by a Malay government even though that perception is not true" ("Sesetengah masyarakat di sana, melihat ia dari sudut yang rasis, kerajaan orang Cina ditumbangkan oleh kerajaan orang Melayu walaupun tanggapan itu tidak betul".)
"I am most outraged and shocked by such downright racism," said Lim. "I have never come across anyone discussing or perceiving the undemocratic, unethical, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak in these racist terms and I challenge Muhyiddin to substantiate his canard that there is the racist perception of "a Chinese government being toppled by a Malay government".
"The Perak Pakatan Rakyat state government led by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is a fully Malaysian government comprising leaders from DAP, PAS and PKR, and is no Chinese, Malay or Indian Government."
He reiterated his call for Muhyiddin to withdraw and apologise for his statement that the Chinese and Indian community want to be "kingmakers" at the expense of the Malays.
Lim also called for MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to confirm or deny news reports that he told the deputy prime minister that he found nothing wrong with Muhyiddin's statements in the interview.
"If it is true that Tee Keat had told Muhyiddin that the former had found "nothing wrong with his statement in Mingguan Malaysia", then the MCA President owes the public a fulsome apology for failing in his pledge to stand up and speak the truth!"
MCA had yesterday through its spokesperson Lee Wei Kiat, issued a statement disagreeing with Muyhiddin's remarks that Chinese voters were unappreciative.
Muhyiddin's interview and the subsequent fallout has come at a difficult time for prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who has said that the thrust of his new government is One Malaysia - a concept that stresses unity, mutual respect and trust among the different ethnic communities.
Lim has described the deputy prime minister's comments as "divisive" and having given a "bad name" to One Malaysia and that his interpretation of the loss of support was "a blow to the credibility, integrity and legitimacy of the Najib premiership".
The Ipoh Timur MP also called on Najib to clearly define the meaning of One Malaysia at his first cabinet meeting tomorrow, to give a common interpretation to all parties.
Apart from Lim, leaders and officials from Gerakan and MCA have also spoken out against Muyhiddin's comments, saying that the cause of the loss of Chinese and Indian votes lay within the BN itself.
Ong responded in his blog saying that all views should be respected in a democracy even if if "we cannot concur with".
"The Deputy Prime Minister can voice his views on the results of the Bukit Gantang by-election, and so can I. I see nothing wrong for him to express his observations and views," he wrote in his blog.
"Nonetheless, I insist that the fund allocations pledged or disbursed to the people during campaigning should be viewed as the Government's obligation to taxpayers. The issue of gratefulness does not arise at all. This was clearly stated by me when I publicly made my comments on the issue."
"Only the politically bankrupt would exploit such a scenario involving differing views to demand an apology from me for others' utterances. To individuals like Lim Kit Siang, anything he couldn't concur with should never be given any room at all," the Transport Minister said.
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