Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 14.5.2014.
MCA has no right to comment on the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election unless it comes clean by stating the real reason for sitting out of the contest and declare which of the 3 independent candidates that BN is endorsing as the BN proxy. MCA had first given the reason that it did not want to contest as it wanted to concentrate on the constitutional crisis triggered by PAS’ plan to introduce hudud before changing the excuse one day later to MCA having no chance of winning.
By abandoning the first reason of opposing the implementation of hudud, MCA realises that DAP has taken a more consistent stand in opposing not only PAS but also UMNO for working together to implement hudud on Muslims in Kelantan. MCA dare not face the voters on their double-standards of defending UMNO but opposing PAS, when both UMNO and PAS wants to implement hudud in Kelantan.
Following DAP’s strong opposition, PAS has decided not to table the private members’ bill in the coming June’s Parliamentary sitting but instead allow a joint technical committee comprising of both PAS and UMNO leaders to make recommendations and take further action. DAP has succeeded in conveying to PAS of DAP’s strong opposition and will continue to do so, that this is not in the interests of PR as it is not in PR common policy or in the 2013 PR general election manifesto.
The big question is why has MCA failed to do the same by criticising UMNO. Even MCA Secretary-General Ong Ka Chua admitted in today’s papers that MCA opposed PAS implementing hudud without mentioning opposing UMNO for also wanting to implement hudud.
What is surprising is that Ong also disclosed that MCA opposed the joint technical committee on hudud comprising of both PAS and UMNO that was proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyidin Yasin. However Ong said MCA had not yet conveyed to UMNO, MCA’s opposition to this joint technical committee.
What is the use of opposing UMNO setting up this joint technical committee on hudud with PAS, if MCA dares not convey their opposition to UMNO? Instead of going throughout the country opposing PAS, MCA should have used the opportunity offered by MCA President Liow Tiong Lai when he attended the UMNO 68th Anniversary celebrations in Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur last Sunday to convince UMNO to abandon its support for PAS implementing hudud in Kelantan.
It is meaningless for Ong Ka Chuan to declare their opposition in the Chinese newspapers to UMNO forming a joint technical committee with PAS to implement hudud in Kelantan, but yet MCA dare not criticise and tell UMNO face-to face.
MCA Has No Right To Comment On The Bukit Gelugor Parliamentary By-Election Unless It Comes Clean By Stating The Real Reason For Sitting Out Of The Contest And Declare Which Of The 3 Independent Candidates That BN Is Endorsing As The BN Proxy.
Is the real reason for sitting out of the contest due to a simple directive from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to MCA President Liow Tiong Lai? This follows Najib’s endorsement of MCA’s decision not to contest the seat and that another candidate, not from BN component parties, but from other parties would contest so that DAP would not have an easy passage. For this reason, MCA or BN should declare which of the 3 independent candidates are doing so on the behalf of BN as their proxy?
Some local MCA leaders are unhappy at MCA’s decision and supported former MCA President Chua Soi Lek’s criticism that this is sheer political cowardice. They dispute a purported survey done showing strong support amongst Bukit Gelugor voters for the PR Penang state government, stressing that the by-election is not about the performance of the state government as it is a parliamentary seat but about MCA’s transformation and revival.
By not contesting, MCA has abandoned their supporters and voters in Bukit Gelugor, where MCA even won 2 state seats of Sri Delima and Paya Terubong within the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat in the 2004 general election. Until MCA declares who is the BN proxy, MCA has no right to comment on the Bukit Gelugor by-election.
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14日在槟城发表声明：
针对巫统与伊斯兰党针对在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法成立联合技术委员会，黄家泉在中文报宣布他们反对是没有意义的，马华还不敢面对面批评巫统。
马华没有权利评论武吉牛汝莪国会议席补选，除非它清楚说明马华放弃参选的真正原因，并声明三名独立候选人是国阵承认的代理人。马华首先拿出的不参选的理由是为了集中精神在由伊斯兰党要推行伊斯兰刑事法而引发的宪制危机，一天以后又更改理由，指马华没有胜算。
当马华放弃第一个不参选的理由（反对伊斯兰刑事法），马华意识到行动党的立场更加一致，我们不只反对伊斯兰党、也反对巫统双方一起合作在吉兰丹向穆斯林推行伊斯兰刑事法。当巫统和伊斯兰党要在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法时，马华一边维护巫统、一边反对伊斯兰党的双重标准让他们不敢面对选民。
由于行动党强烈反对，伊斯兰党决定不在六月的国会里提呈私人法案，反而成立了一个联合技术委员会，让伊斯兰党及巫统领袖采取进一步行动。行动党已经成功地向伊斯兰党传达我们反对伊斯兰刑事法的立场，我们也将继续这么做，因为这不是民联的利益，也不在民联的共同执政纲领、也不在2013年民联竞选宣言里。
现在最大的问题是为何马华不能批评巫统。就连马华总秘书黄家泉也在今天承认，马华反对伊斯兰党要推行伊斯兰刑事法，却对巫统也要推行伊斯兰刑事法只字不提。
最让人惊讶的是，黄家泉也揭露了马华反对由副首相丹斯里慕尤丁倡议的伊斯兰党及巫统组成的伊斯兰刑事法联合技术委员会。但是，他说马华还没有向巫统传达马华反对上述联合技术委员会。
巫统要针对伊斯兰刑事法，与伊斯兰党设立联合技术委员会，如果马不敢直接向巫统表示抗议，他们反对又有什么用？与其到全国反对伊斯兰党，上个星期日，马华总会长廖中莱出席了巫统假吉隆坡太子世贸中心68周年党庆，马华应该利用廖中莱所提供的机会，说服巫统放弃支持伊斯兰党在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法。
针对巫统与伊斯兰党针对在吉兰丹推行伊斯兰刑事法成立联合技术委员会，黄家泉在中文报宣布他们反对是没有意义的，马华还不敢面对面批评巫统。
马华没有权利评论武吉牛汝莪国会议席补选，除非它清楚说明马华放弃参选的真正原因，并声明三名独立候选人是国阵承认的代理人。马华首先拿出的不参选的理由是为了集中精神在由伊斯兰党要推行伊斯兰刑事法而引发的宪制危机，一天以后又更改理由，指马华没有胜算。
是不是因为马华总会长廖中莱听命于首相拿督斯里纳吉的指示，因此马华决定放弃参选？纳吉已经支持马华不参选的决定，而来自其它政党（非国阵成员党）的候选人将让行动党不会轻易取胜。因此，马华及国阵应该说明，三个独立人士候选人中哪一名是国阵的代理人？
一些马华领袖对马华的决定不满，他们也赞同前马华总会长蔡细历的批评，这绝对是政治懦弱的表现。他们指着一份显示武吉牛汝莪选民大多支持民联槟州政府的报告强调，补选不是有关槟州政府的表现 ，武吉牛汝莪是国会议席，它攸关马华转型及复兴。
随着马华不参选，他们已经背弃了武吉牛汝莪的支持者及选民，这个国会选区下，马华曾经在2004年全国大选赢得斯里德里玛州选区及垄尾州选区。直到马华公布谁是国阵的代理，否则马华没有权利评论武吉牛汝莪国会选区补选。
林冠英