CM: Rais' remarks on Penang dangerous and false

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim has been lambasted for saying that only Mandarin and English were spoken at an official function he attended in Penang.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) lashed out at Rais for making a “dangerous statement with his false claim”.

Lim said Rais should not lie like Umno-owned Malay language dailyUtusan Malaysia but prove which state official function he attended had sidelined Bahasa Malaysia.

“I suspect that the official function that Rais is referring to is a function at Han Chiang College in Penang where he was the guest-of-honour, representing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Sept 29,” Lim said in a statement.

“I would like to remind Rais that Han Chiang College is a privately-run college and the function was organised by Han Chiang and not by the state government,” he added.

Yesterday, Bernama quoted Rais (left) as saying that he was disappointed that Bahasa Malaysia was not being given its due respect in Penang after the opposition took over the state two years ago.

He said this was abundantly clear at an official function he attended in the state, where the organisers spoke only in Mandarin and English.

Lim said Rais' claims that he was the only one talking in the national language, and a little bit of English, was untrue.

He said he had himself also spoken in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin, and questioned why Rais did not not mention that he had spoken in the national language.

If Rais was unhappy with the manner in which Han Chiang organised the event, Lim said, he could have conveyed his unhappiness to the Han Chiang authorities.

“Why did he not demand an explanation from Han Chiang?

'State government unfairly blamed'

“Instead, Rais has chosen to unfairly blame the state government for a function that was organised by a private college,” Lim lamented.

Making the false allegation against the state government was a clear intent to play up the racist sentiment that Penang does not appreciate Bahasa Malaysia and is not good for national unity.

Lim noted that Rais had even urged the Malays in Penang to question this event.

“If Rais can prove which official function attended by him did not use Bahasa Malaysia, the Penang government will act to correct this mistake.

“However if he fails to show proof, then he should withdraw his remarks and apologise,” he said.

“Otherwise he would be exposed as a man without honour and even as a racist for trying to use this lie to work up the sentiments of the Malays,” he added.

Lim said he was dismayed at the systematic and serial attempts to undermine the Penang government with lies and racist sentiments.

He described the attempts as “desperate but a highly irresponsible and reckless acts” that threatened the harmony and stability of society.

He added that Rais' attack followed “ludicrous” reports in the New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia on Oct 2 that he may have disclosed national secrets to Singaporeans at a dinner.