Former Umno minister blasts MCA for ‘double standards’

(The Rakyat Post) – Former Information Minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin today lambasted the “double standards” practised by Barisan Nasional’s Chinese component party MCA.

He cited an article by MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chairman Datuk Ti Lian Ker in the party-owned The Star daily today, urging action to be taken against Perkasa president Datuk Seri Ibrahim Ali for his allegedly “provocative” statements on the Charlie Hebdo magazine killings in Paris.

“Tun M (Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) and Khairy (Jamaluddin, Youth and Sports Minister) have also given similar comments over the (Charlie Hebdo) incident, saying that the victims had provoked the incident to occur.

“Does this mean that Ti wants them to be investigated as well?”

Zainuddin also chided MCA for  continuing to ignore the controversial tweet by Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen on Friday that accused the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) of “promoting extremism every Friday”.

“Are the statements by Ibrahim Ali, Tun M and Khairy of an event that happened miles away more dangerous than Paulsen’s tweet which provokes Muslims in this country, in MCA’s eyes?

“Is MCA blinded by thick glasses of  Chinese racism?”

He added that Ti was indirectly rejecting the Sedition Act 1948 by criticising Ibrahim’s statement that the incident in Paris was the result of the French government’s failure to censure the satirical publication.

Yesterday, Ti called for Ibrahim to be brought in for questioning following comments regarding the Charlie Hebdo killings.

Ibrahim Ali was quoted to have said: “This is what happens when you insult the religion of others, when you interfere with other people’s religion.”

Ti said the public should just ignore Ibrahim’s bigoted ranting as none other than a pursuit for publicity which he craved.