Kit Siang calls ex-judge ‘racist champion’ for warning Chinese of Malay backlash

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has called former Court of Appeal Judge Mohd Noor Abdullah a “racist champion” for his recent statements warning the Chinese of a backlash from the Malays for their alleged “betrayal” against Barisan Nasional (BN) in Election 2013.

The Gelang Patah MP (picture) said that the ex-judge’s speech was unworthy of a person of high office because of its seditiousness and “abomination” of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia ideal.

“I have seen the video of Mohd Noor’s speech which is unquestionably the most divisive, destructive, racist and seditious speech ever made in Malaysia in 44 years,” Lim said in a statement today.

He was referring to a speech the former judge gave three days ago at a forum titled “GE13 post-mortem: Muslim leadership and survival”, organised by the UiTM Malaysia Alumni Association and Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS).

Mohd Noor, who currently sits on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) complaints committee, had reportedly accused the Chinese of plotting to “seize political power” from the Malays, despite already having benefited economically from the “Malay’s hand of friendship”.

“When Malays are betrayed, there is a backlash and the Chinese must bear the consequences of a Malay backlash,” he was quoted as saying on independent news portal Malaysiakini.

Lim slammed the police and the attorney-general for failing to arrest, charge and prosecute the former judge for sedition in undermining the country’s racial harmony.

“I feel totally uneasy that anyone, let alone a person of Mohd Noor’s stature as former Court of Appeal judge, could spew such racist and chauvinist poison with immunity and impunity, completely reckless of the grave harm they could do to destroy the fabric of Malaysia’s plural society,” he said.

Post-Election 2013 has seen scores of BN and BN-friendly leaders take potshots at the Chinese community for their clear backing of federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) during the tumultuous polls last week.

But while they argue that it had been a “Chinese tsunami” that had cost BN to bleed seats, analysts and PR leaders have denied this, arguing that it was more accurately an urban-rural divide.

Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia has also been pushing the view that the Chinese are to blame for BN’s lacklustre election results despite its win, publishing news and editorials with headlines such as “Apa lagi Cina mahu? (What more do Chinese want?)”