Guan Eng: Refusal to condemn member shows MCA backs Perkasa’s ‘racism’

By Yow Hong Chieh

February 02, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — The MCA has shown its links to “racist” Perkasa by not censuring a Seputeh division committee member who helped the Malay rights group organise the white “ang pow” Chinese New Year lunch, Lim Guan Eng has said.

The DAP secretary-general said it was clear the MCA supported Perkasa’s wish to create an “Asian apartheid” by not taking action against Dr Tiew Chew Ming, who ferried elderly citizens to the Perkasa event where white ang pow packets were handed out.

Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who is often at the centre of controversy for uttering alleged racial slurs, invited more criticism last week when he distributed white packets instead of the traditional red during the group’s Chinese New Year open house.

Money to help with funeral costs is usually placed in “white packets” by the Chinese and is known as “pak kum” in Cantonese.

But according to the group, this was because Ibrahim, who took pains to trumpet Perkasa’s struggle for the Chinese community during the function, had run out of red ang pow packets.

When asked to comment on the incident, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak attempted to distance his administration from the “white packet” faux pas by saying Ibrahim was an independent lawmaker.

Lim also took the MCA to task for not criticising the prime minister’s refusal to condemn Perkasa for distributing the white packets which, the Penang chief minister said, was proof of Umno’s open support for Ibrahim’s group.

“What is the use of condemning the racist Perkasa when (MCA president) Dr Chua should also have asked why the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib did not condemn Perkasa for blatantly trampling over the sensitivities of the Chinese community by distributing white instead of red ang pau during Chinese New Year?” he said in a statement.

He added Umno and the MCA’s support for Perkasa contrasted with PAS’s respect for Chinese religious and cultural sensitivities, pointing out that leaders from the Islamist party had distributed red ang pow packets, mandarin oranges and Chinese New Year cards to market traders.

“The time for racist parties like Umno and MCA is over. Malaysians regardless of race must reject not only extremist Perkasa and Utusan Malaysia but also Umno and MCA, that has divided the people for 55 years and robbed the country of trillions of ringgit by relying on racial rhetoric,” Lim said.