Top MCA leaders must defend Robert Kuok

Lim Kit Siang

My media statement from Kampong Raja yesterday morning that it will be an “eternal blot” to the reputation of MCA leaders if the three MCA Ministers dare not even ask the UMNO leadership to make an open apology for the spate of gratuitous and baseless attacks on tycoon Robert Kuok has had some effect but it is not good enough.

The top MCA leaders must speak up strongly to ask UMNO to apologise for the crescendo of gratuitous, baseless and malicious attacks on Robert Kuok and not just come out with weak and insipid statements.

This is because the attacks on Robert Kuok have increased in viciousness and malice, as illustrated by one UMNO Minister who piled abuses and invectives on Robert Kuok, denouncing him as a “pondan”; “ayam betina”; “coward with no testicles”; challenged him to return to Malaysia to contest in the coming general election and even to surrender his Malaysian citizenship.

Examples of such MCA lame responses are one from the Secretary-General who is also second Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, who complained that an UMNO Minister had no right to ask Robert Kuok to surrender his citizenship and another one by an MCA “ikan bilis” who complained that the attacks on Robert Kuok was not helping MCA or BN but helping DAP.

The top MCA leaders should just focus on what is right and what is wrong, and not on who will benefit from it or otherwise.

I am still mystified as to the reasons for UMNO leaders going bersek in making gratuitous, baseless, malicious and savage attacks on Robert Kuok.

This was why at the kopitiam ceramah at Kampong Raja this evening, I asked whether this spate of attacks on Robert Kuok could have been sparked by the rebuff experienced by some UMNO leaders who had approached Robert Kuok for donations for the 14GE.

MCA leaders have further embarrassed themselves with their pathetic responses when MCA’s benefactor and savior came under savage, gratuitous, baseless and malicious attacks by UMNO leaders.

Have the top MCA leaders forgotten that Robert Kuok had bailed out the then MCA President in 1986 in a Singapore court for the astronomical sum of RM20 million and who had rescued many MCA business ventures from doom and collapse?

May be one way for the MCA to mark and celebrate the 69th MCA anniversary (established today 69 years ago on Feb. 27,1949) this coming Sunday is for it to ponder as to how the present MCA had betrayed not only the founding fathers of MCA like Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun Tan Siew Sin, but also the MCA benefactors and saviours like Robert Kuok.