Has Malaysia a Home Minister of “unsound mind” who could condone and absolve the criminal actions of people stoking racial tensions by declaring payment of RM1,200 to anyone who slaps woman MP Teresa Kok?

This morning the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of national unity, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup said those stoking racial tensions by offering a reward for slapping DAP National Vice Chairperson and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok are people of “unsound mind”.

The more relevant and pertinent question is whether Malaysia has got a Home Minister of “unsound mind” who could condone and absolve the criminal actions of the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” in stoking racial tensions by declaring payment of RM1,200 to anyone who slaps woman MP Teresa Kok.

The 30-odd people from six Muslim groups involved in the “slap Teresa” demonstration and the chicken slaughter and smearing of chicken blood on a banner featuring DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders are “sick” but what is shocking is whether we have a Home Minister who is equally “sick” as to be capable of defending and championing the “sick” actions of the ‘Council of Islamic NGOs’.

Thanks to the publicity given by the extremist NGOs and their sponsors in UMNO, Teresa’s video “Onederful Malaysia CNY 2014” has now exceeded over 450,000 hits on YouTube.

The Minister of Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal was the first Cabinet Minister to demand action to be taken against Teresa alleging that her video ridiculed the security forces and the Lahad Datuk incursion tragedy.

However, when it was pointed out that Teresa’s video did not make any mention of the security forces or the Lahad Datu incident, Shafie had disappeared into the background.

The other two Cabinet Ministers and Umno leaders who have publicly attacked Teresa’s video are the Home Minister Zahid and the Minister for Communications and Multimedia Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek but none of them have been able to pinpoint or substantiate their allegation that the video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I made a standing invitation more than a week ago to be “educated” as to how Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and this invitation remains open and valid – for I really want to know how Teresa’s video could be described as anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I can state publicly that Teresa would be going against DAP principle and policy if she produces a video which is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, as the DAP had always stood for a Malaysia for all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

In fact, when the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin repudiated Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s signature 1Malaysia policy in early 2010 and declared that he was “Malay first, Malaysian second”, I proudly declared in Parliament that I was “Malaysian first, Chinese second”.

This basic principle remains unchanged and unshakeable – and as I have said many a time, DAP leaders, whether Members of Parliament or State Assembly members, must always regard themselves as “Malaysian first and race and religion second” – as we are first and foremost Malaysian patriots and not race champions!

In pursuit of this long-standing DAP principle and objective of being a party for all Malaysians, Teresa Kok would have no hesitation in withdrawing and apologising for the “Onederful Malaysia” video if there are portions which are anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

But Teresa and DAP leaders have been waiting for someone to come out into the open to point out and substantiate the allegation that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, but no one has been able to do so in the past two weeks.

If Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, why is it so difficult for someone to point this out publicly?

This is in fact the best proof that while one can disagree with Teresa’s video – with some particularly in MCA, Gerakan and the BN component palrties, claiming that it is in bad taste to produce such a CNY video with stinging criticisms of the Barisan Nasional government in failing to resolve the people’s hardships and grievances arising from price hikes, fall in educational standards, high crime rates and rampant corruption in the country – it could not be faulted for being anti-Malay and anti-Islam.

I have always suspected that UMNO Ministers and leaders have been led by the nose and “poisoned” by Chinese leaders in MCA, Gerakan and other Barisan Nasional component parties, as they do not understand the dialogue which is in Mandarin and Cantonese, and misled into believing that Teresa’s video was a most ferocious and aggressive attack on the Malays and Islam.

I challenge the top MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese leaders in other BN component parties to cease and desist, as they should not stoop so low as to “poison” and mislead UMNO Ministers and leaders into believing that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam when there is nothing anti-Malay or anti-Islam in the video.

I call on the top MCA, Gerakan and other Chinese leaders in the other BN component parties to come out of hiding, declare how Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, or have the courage to declare publicly that there is nothing anti-Malay or anti-Islam in Teresa’s video and that UMNO Ministers and leaders have been completely misled.

At present the top MCA leaders are only pre-occupied with one issue – how to get back to Cabinet and government after being out in the wilderness for nine months.

They should be more concerned about political principles and honour – and ask the Prime Minister and Cabinet to repudiate and reprimand Zahid for condoning and absolving the self-styled “Council for Islamic NGOs” in their slew of crimes, including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against woman, incitement of violence against a Member of Parliament, incitement of another May 13 riots, and declare that unless the Prime Minister and Cabinet repudiate and reprimand Zahid for his irresponsible stand, there is no purpose of MCA returning to be Ministers and members of such a disreputable and dishonourable Government.

(Speech at the Sandakan Chinese New Year Dinner in Sandakan on Sunday, 9th February 2014 at 9 pm) - MP Lim Kit Siang