Utusan targets Kit Siang in screed over Chinese vote
By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Utusan Malaysia continued its tirade calling DAP a racist party, hinting today of “stories” that could mar strongman Lim Kit Siang’s image as a clean politician.
Writing under the pseudonym Awang Selamat today, the paper’s editors declared DAP the country’s most racist party and was being run at the whims and fancies of Kit Siang and his son, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
“Only Malays who are short of reason will take the bait. But Awang knows his tricks. Awang is not worried over any of his claims, accusations and provocations.
“Kit Siang himself is not a clean politician. Apparently, there are stories about him that are now becoming conversation topics,” Awang wrote in an editorial in today’s Mingguan Malaysia.
Utusan Malaysia, an Umno-owned Malay daily, launched a series of attacks against DAP following the party’s victories in the Sarawak state polls.
The polls saw DAP make a near-clean sweep of the state’s Chinese-majority urban seats while votes from the non-Chinese Bumiputera community increased significantly for Pakatan Rakyat.
As a result, DAP doubled its seat representation in the Sarawak assembly — from six to 12 — while PKR won three seats, giving the PR pact a historic15 seats in the 71-seat assembly.
Umno and its supporters are said to be growing hot under the collar over the swing of urban support to the opposition and Utusan Malaysia immediately moved to accuse DAP of banking on race rhetoric to secure the Chinese vote.
The daily also urged Umno to spearhead a “1 Melayu, 1 Bumi” movement to protect Malay unity, claiming that DAP was intent on unseating the country’s Malay political leadership.
While the idea has been shot down by Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Malay rights group Perkasa — often described as an Umno offshoot — pledged to take up the challenge.
Awang continued the paper’s diatribe today, berating DAP and claiming the party had failed to practise what it preaches.
