Malaysians Say The Darndest Things!

One Is A Man, The Other Two Are What?

March 18, 2008

The Menteri Besar of Perak has been sworn-in. He is no other than Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin from PAS.

It was certainly not a smooth ride for Mohamad Nizar leading up to the swearing-in ceremony. On March 12th, a day before the planned swearing-in of Mohamad Nizar, Lim Kit Siang, the MP of Ipoh Timur released a statement stating that Mohamad Nizar’s candidacy for Menteri Besar was not endorsed by the DAP Central Executive Committee. The statement also mentioned that all 18 DAP state assembly members will stay away from the swearing-in ceremony.

As a result of this statement, the swearing-in ceremony was postponed until further notice, as the royalty in Perak wanted the selection of Mohamad Nizar to be agreed upon unanimously by all assembly persons in the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition. Lim Kit Siang was then heavily criticized throughout the blogosphere for releasing the statement and rejecting the PAS MB that was selected by the Perak royalty.

There were many fair criticisms I felt, including mine, where I thought it was extremely unwise to give the impression that there was significant in-fighting within the coalition. I felt that this would only give ammunition to the government-owned media to spin this as a Chinese vs. Malay issue (which they did).
The gamut of criticisms levied on DAP ranged from how the party was disrespectful to the royalty in Perak to how the DAP was anti-Islam and anti-Malay. Obviously, I do not agree with some of these criticisms.

Following the faux pas, Lim Kit Siang then wrote a formal apology letter to the Sultan of Perak last Saturday, and followed this up with a face-to-face meeting with the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah where he personally apologized for any unintended offense caused. That, my fellow readers and bloggers, is a true mark of a man, whereby he is not afraid to apologize when mistakes are made. This is certainly something we are unaccustomed to from our Malaysian politicians, because when was the last time you ever heard a BN politician say sorry? I’m sure all of us have heard statements like “I was misquoted…”, “I never said that…” blah blah blah.

Talking about apologies, let me introduce you to the following politicians from MCA and Gerakan, namely Ong Ka Chuan and Lim Keng Yaik.

Ong Ka Chuan

IPOH: The DAP has revealed its “true face” to the people by cooperating with PAS to form the next state government, Perak MCA chief Datuk Ong Ka Chuan said.

“All this while, the DAP has been denying that it is working with PAS when they sought the support of the Chinese community in Perak during the campaigning period,” he said.

“After getting their votes, the DAP is doing otherwise,” he said yesterday when commenting on the new ruling coalition government of the DAP, PKR and PAS.

The DAP, he said, should apologise to the voters for having duped them about not working together with PAS when wooing them before the just-concluded polls.

Ong, who is also the MCA secretary-general, said the DAP might even go to the extent of allowing a PAS leader to be the new Mentri Besar.

“How are they going to explain to the Chinese community? The DAP had not been honest right from the start,” he asked.

The DAP should have told the community right from the beginning that they were cooperating with PAS so that the voters would be able to make a wise decision at the ballot box, he said.

“Now the DAP is doing otherwise. I feel sad that the situation has become like this,” he added.

“The people gave the DAP their trust and this is how the DAP is repaying them – by working with an Islamist party,” said the newly-elected Tanjong Malim MP.

– TheStar.com.my, 11th March 2008

Lim Keng Yaik

(Click for fullsize poster)
Poster by Mob1900

Outspoken Gerakan veteran Lim Keng Yaik today slammed the Perak DAP leadership for opportunistically forming an alliance with hardline Islamic party PAS and agreeing to the appointment of a PAS menteri besar.

“They have misled the Chinese. I challenge them to ask their constituents if they want a PAS menteri besar. If most of them do, I will quit politics forever!” Keng Yaik said sternly during a press conference in Ipoh today.

DAP swept all 18 seats it contested in the recently concluded general elections and will form a new state government that would include seven PKR and six PAS state assemblypersons.

The three parties left the choice of a menteri besar to Perak Sultan Azlan Shah who eventually picked Pasir Panjang state assemblyperson Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin from PAS.

Keng Yaik said that DAP, which had always claimed to be against PAS’ Islamic state agenda, had gone against their word by agreeing to a PAS man heading the state.

“How can they betray their electorate? If you don’t join the new government you won’t die. They have shown that they have no principles,” said Keng Yaik, who has led the predominantly Chinese Gerakan for 25 years since 1980.

– Malaysiakini, 14th March 2008

Lim Kit Siang was criticized as being anti-Malay, anti-Islam, and disrespectful to the Perak royalty for disagreeing with the Perak Sultan’s choice of a Menteri Besar from PAS. Based on the same criteria for judgement, isn’t Ong Ka Chuan and Lim Keng Yaik more anti-Malay, more anti-Islam, and more disrespectful to the Perak Sultan by criticizing the choice of a PAS man as Menteri Besar? Lim Kit Siang has acknowledged his errors and offered an apology. Lim Kit Siang is a man for apologizing, but as for Lim Keng Yaik and Ong Ka Chuan, well where are your apologies???

Join me, fellow bloggers, in demanding that Lim Keng Yaik and Ong Ka Chuan be man enough to apologize for disrespecting the Sultan’s choice in a PAS Menteri Besar.

You Might Find These Interesting

• DAP Cracks The Coalition in Perak
• New Perak MB is Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin
• Ka Chuan Plays Sore Loser
• Perak Coalition Government Reaches Understanding; Perak Celebrates New Royal Family Member
• A Simple Advice To Lim Si Pin

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