What about the RM3 billion Mahathir gave you, Ling?

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Today, Dr Ling Liong Sik today said he never received any funds from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his tenure as MCA president, adding that the Chinese-based party was capable of sourcing its own funds. “We were rich enough to use the money we earned to mobilise our political activities,” said Ling.

That is not entirely true. Ling became the MCA President in September 1986 during the recession and a year later, in October 1987, ‘Black Monday’ occurred, the day stock markets all over the world collapsed. Many of the Chinese cooperatives, which were set up by MCA leaders and supporters, faced bankruptcy and MCA turned to Mahathir for help. Mahathir then arranged for a RM3 million bailout package for those Chinese cooperatives in dire straits, equivalent to RM8 billion today.

The Malay Chamber of Commerce was outraged and went to meet Mahathir to confront him. To pacify the Malays, Mahathir asked Bank Negara to set up a TPU (Tabung Pemulihan Usahawan) with a fund of RM500 million. Mahathir promised the Malay Chamber that if RM500 million is not enough he will increase it. The eventual amount came to RM560 million.

Ling should not pretend that Mahathir gave MCA nothing when he was the party President. Mahathir arranged RM3 billion for MCA because Ling told him if the government does not bail out the Chinese, they will abandon MCA and vote DAP. So, to make sure that MCA does not lose their seats to DAP, Mahathir helped them with RM3 billion. Maybe Ling forgot about this or he thinks we may have forgotten. - thethirdforce.net