Chinese Perkasa? MCA bankrupt of ideas, time to close shop
Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle
Pakatan Rakyat leaders ridiculed a suggestion from the MCA that a Chinese version of ultra-Malay rights group Perkasa be established, saying that such a idea was not only irresponsible, it would only erode fragile nation-building efforts and add to already simmering communal tensions.
“If such an idea came from a vice-president of MCA, then it shows how bankrupt of ideas MCA has become,” PKR vice-president and Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.
“The way forward is multi-racial new politics and not racism and feudalism. If after 5 decades, this is all MCA can do, then it is time to close shop. Please, hang up your signboard!”
Donald Lim, who got a new lease of political life during the MCA internal elections earlier this year, had suggested setting up such a body to counter the almost daily assaults from Perkasa, which makes no bones that it champions only the Malay community and no one else.
“The Chinese community and Chinese associations such as the KLSCAH can play such a role. MCA can only respond up to a certain level – it should be NGOs versus their counterparts,” he was reported as saying in Malaysiakini.
Donald, who was ousted in the party’s previous elections, made a grand return in March when he was voted in as one of MCA’s four elected VPs. He received the second highest number of votes after Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen.
“It is just a gimmick and an insult to the intelligence of the Chinese. The last thing Malaysia or any rational person for that matter would need is another hothead group. There are more than enough Chinese NGOs who can speak up for the Chinese and even if there are new ones, we would never encourage anyone to rave and rant like Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa,” Selangor DAP chief Ean Yong told Malaysia Chronicle.
“I think Donald is just trying to play to the gallery. He may think he is smart but what is the difference between him, Ibrahim Ali, Dr Mahathir and all those Umno leaders who for years have used racial politics to scare us and divide us. Do you want this sort of leaders, do you really respect them?”
