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By Lim Kit Siang
I call on MCA National Vice President and Deputy Finance
Minister, Datuk Chan Kong Choy to show a better example than the Pahang Mentri Besar
Datuk Adnan Yaakob and publicly apologise for telling lies when alleging that if Pas
candidate in Sanggang by-election wins, the Chinese cannot eat pork or practise
ancestor worship and that the Kelantan Mentri Besar feigned illness to avoid dialogue
with the people of Sanggang
At a Barisan Alternative Sanggang by-election ceramah
on Sunday night, I had exposed Chan's attempt to mislead the Chinese voters in his
visit to the market in Sanggang - telling the people that if the PAS candidate wins in
the by-election, the Chinese would not be able to eat pork or practise ancestor
worship, which was meant to be particularly telling with the approach of Chen Beng or
Chinese All Souls Day.
Chan also alleged that the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Nik Aziz
Nik Mat feigned illness so as to avoid attending a dialogue on Saturday organised by
the DAP for the Kelantan PAS state government leadership to answer whatever questions
or doubts from the Chinese voters in Sanggang on Kelantan PAS state government policies
and measures, because Nik Aziz could not "face up" to the Chinese voters.
This was most unworthy of Chan for Nik Aziz was really ill on Saturday.
Without
discussing with Nik Aziz, I had challenged Chan to a dialogue withthe Kelantan Menteri
Besar in Sanggang on Wednesday, March 29 for Chan to produce evidence that the Chinese
in Kelantan are an "oppressed race" where there is no pork, no alcohol, no
temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in
tudung, pretty women
cannot find work and there is a chopping of hands and feet.
If
Chan and the MCA leaders are telling the truth, that the Chinese in Kelantan are an
"oppressed race", this would be their "golden opportunity" to
expose the Kelantan PAS state government and they would definitely have no hesitation
in accepting the challenge to an open dialogue with Nik Aziz.
I had given Chan
24 hours to accept the challenge so that I could then arrange with Nik Aziz for the
"Nik Aziz-Chong Kong Choy dialogue" in Sanggang on Wednesday, March 29, 2000
to let the people of Sanggang know what is the truth - whether the Chinese in Kelantan
under PAS state
government are an "oppressed race" where is no pork, no
alcohol, no temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover
up in tudung, pretty women cannot find work and there is a chopping of hands and feet.
But
Chan dared not accept the challenge and jump at the "golden opportunity" to
show Malaysian Chinese the "true colours" of PAS rule in Kelantan. On the
other hand, although I had not yet spoken to Nik Aziz, I have been informed that Nik
Aziz was prepared any time to appear at a
dialogue to prove whether the Chinese in
Kelantan under PAS rule are an "oppressed race".
As Chan dare not
accept the challenge to a dialogue with Nik Aziz to prove that the Chinese in Kelantan
under PAS rule are an "oppressed race", Chan should have the humility and
decency to publicly withdraw and apologise for the lies the MCA have been spreading in
Sanggang in the by-election that if the PAS candidate wins, the Chinese in Malaysia
will lose their rights and that there will be no pork, no alcohol, no temples, no
ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in tudung, pretty
women cannot find work and there will be a chopping of hands and feet.
Pahang
Menteri Besar, Datuk Adnan Yaakob has done UMNO, Barisan Nasional and he himself a great
disservice in making crude, vulgar and indecent gestures at the Sanggang by-election
nomination centre in the presence of men, women and children and refusing to apologise
for his atrocious public conduct.
Having been caught red-handed in telling lies and
falsehoods during his visit to Sanggang market telling the people that if Pas candidate
in Sanggang by-election wins, the Chinese cannot eat pork or practise ancestor worship
and that the Kelantan Mentri Besar feigned illness to avoid dialogue with the people of
Sanggang, Chan should show a better example than Adnan by honourably admitting that he
had been wrong and publicly apologise to Nik Aziz and the Sanggang voters for telling
lies.
Chan should not be another Barisan Nasional leader in the Sanggang by-election
who refused to apologise for public misconduct. I had said at the Sanggang by-election
ceramah on Sunday night that if MCA can prove that under PAS rule in Kelantan, the
Chinese are an "oppressed race" and that in the state is no pork, no alcohol,
no temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in tudung,
pretty women cannot find work, I will call on the voters of Sanggang to vote for
Barisan Nasional and reject the Barisan Alternative candidate.
My stand remains
the same and I am prepared to attend any meeting at any place at any time to give the
MCA leaders the opportunity to prove that the Chinese in Kelantan under PAS rule are an
"oppressed race" - including the MCA headquarters or any MCA premises.
Is
Chan Kong Choy and the MCA national leaders prepared to attend any meeting at any time
at any place for Nik Aziz, Hadi Awang and the PAS leaders to prove that the Chinese
under PAS rule in Kelantan and Terengganu are not an "oppressed race" - and
in fact, enjoy rights which were not
present under the Barisan Nasional and MCA state
governments, e.g. Terengganu PAS state government's immediate lifting of the ban on the rearing
and slaughter of pigs which was imposed by the UMNO-MCA Terengganu state government ten
years ago!
Incidentally, can Chan Kong Choy explain why the MCA leadership, both national
and state, could support UMNO State Government's decision in Terengganu to ban the
rearing and slaughter of pigs for the past 10 years?
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