DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua also called for Wan Ahmad’s resignation, alleging the latter had not only failed to ensure a level playing field for contending parties during the Sarawak polls but had also become Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “cat’s paw” to defame and denigrate Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties.
“Both Wan Ahmad and Rais Yatim should publicly apologise for making the baseless accusation that our candidate Violet Yong has uttered ‘dah cukup masa orang Melanau jadi CM’ (we have had enough of a Melanau being the Chief Minister), failing which our legal bureau will contemplate further actions against them,” he said in a statement today.
Pua was referring to an editorial published in Utusan Malaysia today quoting both men on the issue, with the latter centring his remarks on Yong, who defended her Pending seat during the April 16 polls and won.
In the article, Wan Ahmad was quoted as saying that DAP had mooted a “racist campaign” in Sarawak and had broken election laws by putting up banners containing racial remarks.
“I challenge the EC to come up with proof that the DAP had put up banners which were racial in nature which incites racial hatred and anger.
“Throughout the entire campaign, we ensured that practically all our campaign materials contained at least two languages, whether in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese or Iban.
“Our campaign theme was thoroughly focused on fighting corruption, cronyism and abuse of power and never on a particular race,” Pua insisted in a statement today.
He added that he was certain that if the EC had been unable to take down the derogatory banners, the commission’s officials would have had snapped pictures to keep as proof of the party’s transgressions.
“Datuk Wan Ahmad should show such evidence instead of spreading malicious lies,” he said.
Pua also countered the accusations by alleging that it was BN’s Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) that had fanned racial sentiments during the polls in order to attract Chinese voters.
Nearly all of SUPP’s banners, he pointed out, threatened the Chinese community by warning them that they would lose Chinese representation in the state assembly if DAP was voted into power.
“Why didn’t EC reprimand or take action against the SUPP? Wan Ahmad, who has not only failed to ensure free and fair elections in Sarawak, is now trying to justify to he’s political masters why the EC had failed to curb the people’s will to vote for PR in the urban centre,” he scoffed.
Pua also denied that Yong or any of DAP’s candidates had uttered racial remarks during “close-door ceramahs”, pointing out that the party’s campaign events had all been open to public.
“All our events whether in public places or function rooms, were always open to public, including to the media and special branch officers, who had diligently video-recorded every word uttered by our leaders,” he said.
In the Utusan article, Wan Ahmad was quoted as referring to a statement allegedly made by Rais Yatim in the media saying Yong had made the remark about the Melanaus during a “closed-door ceramah”.
Wan Ahmad had also said that such ceramahs were DAP’s “best tactic” to fish for Chinese vote.
DAP has come under continued attack from the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia following its victory in the Sarawak polls.
Among others, the party has been accused of relying on racial sentiment to woo Chinese voters and destroy the country’s Malay leadership.
The paper has also called on Umno to spearhead a “1 Melayu, 1 Bumi” movement to strengthen Malay unity.
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