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DAPSY strongly calls on the Prime Minister Pak Lah who is the UMNO President to direct Pirdaus and Badruddin to retract their statements to stamp his authority within UMNO and show to the world that he has all the political wills to “walk his talk” for a united and progressive Malaysia

Media Statement by Loke Siew Fook

(Petaling Jaya, Monday): DAPSY condemns in the strongest terms the remarks by UMNO Youth exco member Dr Pirdaus Ismail that the May 13 remarks made by the UMNO’s deputy permanent chairperson Badruddin Amiruldin was a warning to DAP and Chinese chauvinists in the country. The remarks by Pirdaus are most irresponsible, racist and confrontational.

DAPSY wants to ask Pirdaus who he is referring to as the Chinese chauvinists. Is it the Suqui movement whom their election appeals were endorsed by UMNO and Barisan Nasional prior to the 1999 general election but later branded as communists by the former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir or the millions of Malaysian Chinese who voted for the DAP in the past 38 years?

As the new face of UMNO Youth whom they claimed to represents the progressive Malays, the least one would expect Pirdaus will do is to remind Badruddin to bury the May 13 issue from the public domain as the priority of the country now is to move forward as a united nation to face the challenges of globalization.

The remarks by both Pirdaus and Badruddin testified that they are still a large segment within UMNO ranks and files and even at the leadership level who are still trapped in the old politics of championing racial issues and project themselves as the real defender as “Ketuanan Melayu”. This is a slap in the face of the new UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who said in the opening of the general assembly that he is not a leader just for the Malays but for all Malaysians and UMNO as the backbone of the government is a party acceptable to all Malaysians.

The essence of Pak Lah’s speech should be commended as he tried to articulate his vision to change the mindset of the Malays or in other words there must be a paradigm shift in the thinking and mentality of the Malays that they should be able to stand on their own feet and be brave to compete with the rest of the world and in the process slowly unsubscribe the “tongkat” mentality.

However, with the elections of certain personalities with “tainted past” as the UMNO Vice Presidents and Supreme Council members and a large segment within UMNO who are still subscribe to the mentality like Badruddin and Pirdaus, one will begin to wonder whether Pak Lah will be able to “walk his talk”. Although we believe Pak Lah is sincere in his thoughts, however his journey will be rocky and without much support from his own party.

Pirdaus further said that MCA and MIC were not their target and in defending Malay rights, their voice were directed to those who question them such as the DAP and Chinese chauvinists. I wish to remind Pirdaus that nobody would expect MCA and MIC to dare to question anything done by UMNO whether it is right or wrong and they have no record of standing principally for the rights of the non-Malays Malaysians.

DAPSY stresses that DAP were never and will never be a Chinese chauvinist’s party. Our party’s vision for a fair and just Malaysian Malaysia where everyone living in the Malaysian soil will be treated fairly and equally is applicable to all Malaysians regardless whether they are Malays or non-Malays. We are a party who stand up for the rights of all Malaysians and our history and track records speak out loud and clear.

Pirdaus’s remarks like “those who are with us were not our target” is most divisive as he sees all those who do not agree with them as their enemies. This does not augur well with the spirit of national unity and defeat the whole purpose of the TV1’s current weekly live telecast unity debate to promote and encourage “unity in diversity” in Malaysia.

DAPSY strongly calls on the Prime Minister Pak Lah who is the UMNO President to direct Pirdaus and Badruddin to retract their statements to stamp his authority within UMNO and show to the world that he has all the political wills to “walk his talk” for a united and progressive Malaysia.

(27/9/2004)
* Loke Siew Fook, DAPSY National Secretary and Negeri Sembilan State Assemblyman for Lobak