Ridhuan Tee using his Chinese identity to attack non-Malays

This is Ridhuan Tee

KUALA LUMPUR — Chinese lawmakers accused Utusan Malaysia columnist Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah of using his Chinese identity to attack the non-Malay communities.

Tee had said that non-Malay-speaking Malaysians and the “ultra kiasu” will be the stumbling block to the government’s transformation programmes.

“He is trying to seek cheap publicity by using his identity as a Chinese to whack the non-Malays so he can get more prominence in Utusan Malaysia,” Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today.

“People who cannot speak fluent Bahasa (Malaysia) are not lesser than those who can speak Malay. We are all Malaysians,” added the Seputeh MP.

Tee is a prominent Chinese Muslim who has consistently courted controversy with his strident views on race relations.

The columnist also stressed that non-Malays should absorb the country’s policies, such as Article 152 and Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, into their own lifestyle rather than resist them.

Article 152 states that Malay is the national language while Article 153 outlines the special position of the Malays and Bumiputeras.

The National Defence University lecturer used what is his favourite term to describe anything and anyone who does not share his beliefs or who questions Malay rights — “ultra kiasu”. The word “kiasu” comes from the Hokkien dialect meaning “too proud to lose”.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, however, pointed out that Article 8 guaranteed equality before the law.

“Perhaps Dr Ridhuan Tee should also read Article 8 that guarantees equal treatment under the law,” said Pua.

“Ridhuan Tee has to read the Constitution as a whole document, rather than just picking out one or two clauses that is suited to his ultra bigoted and extremist views,” added the DAP national publicity secretary.

Echoing Pua’s views, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong told Tee to look at the Constitution holistically.

“It (the Federal Constitution) must be seen in total,” he said.

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi labelled Tee a “dangerous” person for allegedly intensifying racial and religious tension.

“He’s assumed a pattern in the Umno media where he is stoking a lot of friction, tension and misunderstanding between different races and religions. He is a dangerous person underneath that context,” said Ooi.

“We have been trying the last 53 years to forge national unity and he is doing the reverse,” he added.

- Malaysian Insider