Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 11.5.2014.
DAP urges all party leaders and members not to be complacent about the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election on 25 May even though BN and MCA has decided to opt out from this contest.
Like any political party, MCA has a democratic right to contest or not to contest any election. MCA’s decision not to contest the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat on May 25 2014 would normally have been respected, if not for MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai giving a most ridiculous reason that is both false and self-contradictory.
Liow claimed yesterday that in light of the constitutional crisis triggered by PAS’ intention to implement hudud in Kelantan, MCA decided not to contest in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election to focus its strength to ensure this did not happen. Liow stressed that MCA had a duty to defend the Federal Constitution and would go around the country to garner support from the people to prevent the implementation of PAS’ hudud laws.
Liow is obviously “deluding not only himself but deceiving the public” by relying on the excuse of defending the Federal Constitution to not contest the by-election. Clearly Liow had forgotten the criteria set by BN for not contesting in by-elections. On May 18 2009, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak Barisan Nasional had also used the Federal Constitution as the reason for UMNO not contesting the Penanti by-election, which UMNO treats it as a “political game” by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to solve its internal problem.
Najib then said that the BN supreme council had unanimously decided against contesting the Penanti by-election because the vacancy, caused by the resignation of former Penanti assemblyperson Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin in 2009, was not provided for in the Federal Constitution. In that 2009 May statement, Najib added that BN’s position is that by-elections should only be held according to reasons provided in the Federal Constitution, which included death or resignation due to bankruptcy.
How can Liow now claim that by not contesting the Bukit Gelugor by-election, MCA is defending the Federal Constitution when this directly contradicts Najib’s declaration in 2009 that BN will only contest a by-election held according to the Federal Constitution that were caused by death or resignation due to bankruptcy? Former DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh did not resign his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat but was killed in a tragic accident on April 17th this year.
Who is telling the truth, either Najib Tun Razak or Liow Tiong Lai on the criteria for BN contesting or not to contest in by-elections?
Liow Tiong Lai Should Attend The UMNO 68th Anniversary Celebrations In Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur Today To Convince UMNO To Abandon Its Support For PAS Implementing Hudud In Kelantan.
As MCA President, Liow has a duty and responsibility to tell his MCA members the truth on why MCA decided not to contest the by-election. Liow can choose not to reveal the real reasons why but Liow should not try to distract attention away from his failure to do so, by focusing on defending the Federal Constitution to oppose PAS intention to implement hudud in Kelantan.
Instead, Liow should heed the advice of his predecessor and former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, who expressed his full agreement with the DAP in Malaysiakini that only UMNO can stop the implementation of hudud law in Kelantan. As UMNO controls the largest number of MPs(88) in Parliament, only UMNO and UMNO alone shall determine the success or failure in PAS’ attempt to implement hudud in Kelantan.
For that reason Chua said that it is only logical that UMNO must be convinced not to support PAS implementing hudud in Kelantan. Isn’t MCA barking up the wrong tree by only opposing PAS but not criticising UMNO when it is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom who had instigated PAS in Parliament on March 27 2014 to implement hudud on Muslims in Kelantan.
Liow can save the effort of travelling all around Malaysia to oppose PAS implementing hudud in Kelantan when Liow only needs to go to Kuala Lumpur today to see and convince UMNO not to support PAS. Instead of going throughout the country opposing PAS, Liow should attend the UMNO 68th Anniversary celebrations in Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur today to convince UMNO to abandon its support for PAS implementing hudud in Kelantan.
LIM GUAN ENG
—–Mandarin Version —
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2014年5月11日在槟城发表声明：
针对国阵是否要在补选中上阵的准则，到底谁说的才是真话，纳吉？还是廖中莱？
虽然国阵与马华已经决定放弃参选， 行动党促请全体党领袖及党员不要对525武吉牛汝莪国会选区补选自满。
与任何政党一样，马华有民主权利决定他们是否要参与任何选举。要不是因为马华总会长拿督斯里廖中莱拿出了一个唐而皇之的虚假及自相矛盾的理由，马华不竞选525武吉牛汝莪议席的决定通常会被尊重的。
昨天，廖中莱说，由于伊斯兰党执意在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法引发了宪政危机，为了能够全神贯注阻止这件事发生，因此马华决定不竞选武吉牛汝莪国会议席。廖中莱强调，马华有责任捍卫联邦宪法，他们也会到全国争取人民的支持、阻止伊斯兰党推行伊斯兰刑事法。
很明显地，廖中莱是自欺欺人，他以捍卫联邦宪法做为不参选的理由。他完全忘记了国阵所设定了不参选的准则。2009年5月18日，首相拿督斯里纳吉也曾经用联邦宪法为巫统不参选本南地补选的理由，当时巫统视上述补选为公正党用来解决内部问题的“政治游戏”。
纳吉也说国阵最高理事会一致决定放弃参选，因为有关议席悬空是因为2009年本南地州议员莫哈末法鲁兹辞职所导致的，而非联邦宪法所阐明的。在2009年5月的文告，纳吉说，国阵在补选的立场应该以联邦宪法中的理由为准则，包括议员死亡或因破产而辞职。
如今，廖中莱怎么可以说马华不参选武吉牛汝莪是在捍卫联邦宪法？这与纳吉在2009年的言论相违，即国阵只会在联邦宪法所列明的补选原因下才会参与补选，即议员死亡或因破产而辞职。前行动党全国主席卡巴星不是辞去国会议员席位，而是在今年4月17日死于一场车祸。
针对国阵是否要在补选中上阵的准则，到底谁说的才是真话，纳吉？还是廖中莱？
廖中莱应该出席今天假吉隆坡太子世贸中心举行的巫统第68周年党庆，以说服巫统不再支持伊斯兰党在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法。
身为马华总会长，廖中莱有责任及义务告诉全体马华党员，为何马华决定放弃参选的真正理由。廖中莱可以选择不说真话，但是他不应该转移视线，以马华要专注于捍卫联邦宪法、反对伊斯兰党执意在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法做为理由。
反之，廖中莱应该听取前马华部会长蔡细历医生的劝告，后者在《当今大马》表示赞同行动党，即只有巫统才能够阻止吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法。由于巫统在国会占有88个国会议席，只有巫统本身可以决定伊斯兰党能否成功在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法。
因此，蔡细历说，说服巫统不支持伊斯兰党在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法才是符合逻辑的。马华只反对伊斯兰党，而不批评巫统，是不是骂错对象？正是巫统首相署部长加米尔在2014年3月27日煽风点火，唆使伊斯兰党在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法。
廖中莱可以省下全国走透透来反对伊斯兰党在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法的功夫，他只需要在今天去吉隆坡与巫统见面，并且说服巫统不支持伊斯兰党。与其到全国去反对伊斯兰党，廖中莱应该出席今天假吉隆坡太子世贸中心举行的巫统第68周年党庆，以说服巫统不再支持伊斯兰党在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法。
林冠英