Karpal: Tunku Aziz trying to ‘poison Malays’ against DAP
DAP chairman Karpal Singh accused today former colleague Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim of mounting a smear campaign to turn the Malay community against the party and its leaders by claiming members were barred from accepting state awards from Malay rulers.
Karpal, a lawyer and federal lawmaker, rejected allegations that the Chinese-dominant party was opposing Malay rulers by snubbing the awards, saying the DAP’s policy has been consistent in rejecting state honours except for those issued for bravery.
“We are not against the Malay rulers. The policy is just to tell our members they can’t accept state awards of any kind except for bravery,” he told a press conference in Air Itam today.
“By saying that I issued an edict prohibiting party members from accepting state awards from Malay rulers is a half-truth and coined to put me in a bad light in the eyes of the Malays,” the Bukit Gelugor MP said.
The veteran politician was responding to Tunku Aziz, a former DAP vice chairman-turned-critic, who was yesterday reported accusing Karpal of issuing an order prohibiting party members from accepting any award given out by Malay rulers.
Karpal clarified that the party’s policy applied to all state honours, including those issued by state governors in Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak.
The party policy was introduced a few years ago as a move towards transparency.
“This prohibition is only for active members as we want to ensure transparency. So, the rulers should not construe this as a decision that is against them. They should understand that it is our stand for transparency sake,” he said.
He said DAP members may accept awards after they have retired from active politics, citing as examples the late Chian Heng Kai, a former Bukit Mertajam MP; former Batu Lanchang assemblyman the late Tan Loo Jit; and former Berapit state lawmaker Wong Hang Yoke who were conferred state honours carrying the title “Datuk”.
Karpal said strict disciplinary action will be taken against those who breached the party policy.
Karpal also chided Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim for accepting the awards from the Perak Sultan and the Selangor ruler conferred in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
“I have told them to surrender their Datukships but they have not done so. This is wrong and against the party principle,” he said, even though the duo have not been hauled up for accepting the awards.
