KUALA LUMPUR, May 9th- DAP has criticised Barisan Nasional leaders for racialising the recent general election results instead of revamping the electoral system marred with irregularities.
Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang reiterated that the massive swing of support to Pakatan Rakyat was a Malaysian wave rather than a Chinese one.
“No doubt there are was considerable swing from the Chinese but it also involved the Malays and the other communities. Do you think I could have won the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat without the support from the Malays and the Indians?” he asked.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak attributed the heavy losses suffered by the ruling coalition due to a “Chinese tsunami.”
Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia yesterday carried a provocative headline, “Apa Lagi Cina Mahu?” (What else do the Chinese want) attacking the Chinese for backing Pakatan Rakyat.
While Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah denounced the daily, Najib, MIC vice president M Saravanan and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had backed Utusan’s comments.
Saravanan and Mahathir even upped the ante by calling the Chinese ungrateful.
In his criticism against the BN leaders, Lim said that in Selangor, where Pakatan won two thirds majority in the state assembly, the Malays form the largest electorate block.
“The Chinese consists 34% of the electorate, the Indians 15% and the rest two percent. So is Mahathir calling everyone who voted against BN as Chinese?” he asked.
He also pointed out that Umno supreme council member Ali Rustam lost the race for the Bukit Katil parliamentary seat to another Malay, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin.
Lim added that the Malays make up 53% of the electorate in Bukit Katil.
“And almost half of the voters in Terengganu rejected BN and the state is 95% Malay majority. So are they also ungrateful based on Mahathir and Saravanan’s standards?” he asked.
The DAP veteran urged Najib to stop stoking racial fire and reminded him that Malaysians at large have voted against his corrupt regime.
Najib trying to keep his Umno post
Queried whether Najib was playing up racial sentiments to shore up support to remain as Umno president, Lim said that the prime minister’s personal interest should not override national interest.
“Don’t racialise issues just to consolidate your Umno post. It will go against the national reconciliation process and Najib’s own 1Malaysia concept,” he said.
On Najib’s accusation that the Chinese press was equally seditious as Utusan, Lim urged the BN chief to show proof of his allegation.
“I have followed the Chinese press for a long time and they are fair in their reporting. However, if Najib can prove the media had published seditious articles, I welcome action against it
“If Najib fails to find proof, he should apologise to the Chinese press,” he said.
