Allegations DPM is anti-Chinese ‘baseless’
New Straits Times
PORT DICKSON: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said yesterday Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is not anti-Chinese and that his assessment is based on the fact that he has known the deputy prime minister since 1986.
Dr Chua said he served as an executive council member and assemblyman in Johor when Muhyiddin was menteri besar.
“He is not anti-Chinese. In fact, when he was the menteri besar, he gave special allocations to Chinese schools, which continue in Johor until today.
“He also made it a point to visit all the MCA divisions in the state and would visit all the MCA leaders at their homes during Chinese New Year every year.”
He said Muhyiddin had always assisted the Chinese, both in rural and urban areas.
Dr Chua was asked to comment on allegations that Barisan Nasional had been discriminatory against Chinese schools. Such claims are veiled references to Muhyiddin, who is also education minister.
The MCA president had earlier closed a three-day MCA national leaders’ brainstorming camp here.
“Maybe he (Muhyiddin) doesn’t smile a lot. That’s because he has a serious face. These allegations are baseless and are manipulated by the opposition,” Dr Chua added.
He also urged the BN leadership to treat all component parties fairly and equally. It should also work as a team, with activities involving all component parties.
“No single decision should be made by one party, after which the rest simply have to follow. Such an act will not reveal the true BN spirit where cooperation and understanding among the component parties has always been the practice.
“MCA strongly supports calls by the prime minister and his deputy that BN undergo a transformation to show that it still represented the interests of all races and is relevant to the people.”
Dr Chua said the political scenario was changing and MCA could no longer remain as a party which fought only for the rights of the Chinese, but for universal values and those relating to Malaysians as a whole.
“We want to enhance the MCA’s publicity in the new media and will appoint a consultant to come up with a blueprint on how we can best counter and overcome the numerous allegations made by the opposition.”
On calls by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that BN leaders should not openly quarrel among each other, Dr Chua said this was sound advice.
“All BN leaders must respect and help each other. There are avenues for us to iron out our differences and this should be strictly adhered to.
“We must no longer single out issues and say that this must be handled by one particular component party. If it is an issue that affects a Malaysian, under our 1Malaysia concept, we must all work together to overcome it”
