Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur & Kuching On 18.4.2011
MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek should not follow Utusan Malaysia’s tactics of racialising the results of the recent Sarawak state general elections when the key issue is about change not about whether voters want Chinese representation in government. UMNO paper, Utusan Malaysia, had asked BN to ignore Chinese voters just because they supported the opposition.
I wish to reiterate that DAP’s theme and focus in this Sarawak state general elections is not SUPP but on Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud; not about whether the Chinese want representation in government but whether all voters want change;. DAP won 12 out of 15 seats in Sarawak because voters want change and prefer a two-party system over one-party rule, people’s power over one-man rule, and good governance over Taib’s misrule.
BN has suffered not only a loss of 16 seats but more importantly an 8% reduction in popular votes by BN from 63% in 2006 state general elections to 55% now. What type of democratic elections allow a party that wins 55% of the popular vote and yet garner more than 77% of the total seats? Clearly this is a mockery of democracy, in complete defiance of the principle of one-man, one-vote.
Sarawak voters have sent a loud and clear message to SUPP that they clearly wanted Taib to go and go now. SUPP was rejected by voters because SUPP failed to represent the people and was seen as Taib’s representative. Therefore the most important issue that SUPP must address if SUPP is sincere in accepting the decision of the voters, is to withdraw support for Taib as Sarawak Chief Minister
SUPP’s failure to listen to the people’s verdict, by not demanding Taib’s immediate resignation, will only dishearten its supporters but hearten Taib. Any attempts to threaten to leave the state government or punish urban and Chinese voters for supporting the opposition, is a desperate effort by MCA to distract and cover up media attention from the real issue of whether SUPP dare to ask Taib to go.
Chua Soi Lek Should Prove That He Does Not Practice Double-standards By Asking Mah Hang Soon To Resign As Perak State EXCO Immediately.
For this reason MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek’s call that SUPP should not accept any position in the Sarawak state Cabinet, as the party had lost the Chinese community’s support, is to help SUPP hide from addressing the Taib Mahmud issue. If Chua is consistent then he should have given similar advice to Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
Is Chua not practicing double-standards when Chua did not ask Tsu Koon, after Tsu Koon lost the 2008 general elections badly, not to go through the back-door of being appointed a Senator and a Cabinet Minister? Why then did Chua not object to MCA joining Cabinet and accepting Ministerial posts after MCA had lost badly in the 2008 general elections?
If Chua is genuine, then he should instruct Perak MCA State EXCO Dato Dr Mah Hang Soon to resign immediately as MCA won only one state seat in the last 2008 general elections. Chua’s failure to ask Mah to resign shows his typical double-standard of saying one thing but doing another.
Clearly Chua is not only deceiving himself but also deceiving others when he says that this Sarawak state elections is about whether the Chinese wants representation in Government. The voters want change, especially for Taib Mahmud to retire immediately.
What is of interest to the people of Sarawak, is whether SUPP has learnt its lesson from the voters by stopping from becoming Taib’s representative and turn to demanding Taib’s immediate resignation. For how long still must SUPP continue to defend Taib? Will SUPP realise that they need to change from blindly supporting Taib only after they have lost every single seat?
If BN Takes Punitive Action Against Urban Voters, The Chinese Community & Anyone For Exercising Their Democratic Rights To Vote For The Opposition, Then What Is The Point Of Holding Elections?
Utusan Malaysia’s open call Barisan Nasional (BN) to ignore the Chinese community for not supporting the ruling coalition during the April 16th Sarawak state elections is not only racist but also against the very tenets of democracy. If BN takes punitive action against urban voters, the Chinese community and anyone for exercising their democratic rights to vote for the opposition, then what is the point of holding elections?
For a paper that wants to celebrate the murder of innocent non-Malays during the bloody May 13 riots in 1969 as a holy and auspicious day, to continue such racist and extremist attacks is not surprising. What is surprising is that for an UMNO paper like Utusan, UMNO continues to allow and sanction its racist approach against non-Malays and non-Muslims both in Peninsular and East Malaysia. Is such racism and extremism by an UMNO paper consistent with 1Malaysia?
In any elections, the people have a right and freedom to choose who they want to vote for. To punish them for making that choice freely is dictatorial and feudal. DAP had won 12 seats in Sarawak despite facing BN’s misuse of government machinery, money politics, fear and intimidation as well as media control until internet sites like Malaysiakini were hacked and shut down.
Despite such dishonest tactics, there was an 8% swing in popular vote against BN, with BN dropping from 63% in the 2006 state elections to 55%. This 8% swing in popular vote against BN is a small political earthquake in Sarawak.
Unfortunately as a result of unfair delineation of constituencies, the one-man, one-vote principle is not respected. Despite winning 55% of the popular vote, BN has won more than 77% of the seats contested. It is this violation of the one-man, one-vote principle that is undemocratic and should be addressed by Chua Soi Lek.
LIM GUAN ENG