Soi Lek barking up the wrong tree, says PKR
PKR has slammed MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s ‘challenge’ to the party to amend the constitution and abolish Malay rights.
PKR has slammed MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s ‘challenge’ to the party to amend the constitution and abolish Malay rights.
Apart from callling him “racist”, they said that he is barking up the wrong tree, expecting the opposition to undo policies put in place by Soi Lek’s own BN ruling coalition.
“Our position has been very clear. Even in our Buku Jingga, we accept with consensus the special position of the Malay rulers, the Malay language and so forth, Pakatan has no problem with that.
“But what we have a problem with is the ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) which we reject and want to replace with ketuanan rakyat. If Soi Lek wants to challenge it, then let him go deal with (Malay rights NGO) Perkasa,” said PKR communications chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (right in picture).
A video was posted recently on MCA’s official YouTube channel, showing a clip in which Soi Lek said he would be the first to vote for PKR if they were to “cancel Malay privileges”.
“If PKR dares to amend the constitution and cancel Malay privileges, I will be the first to raise my hands to vote for PKR,” he said on the video. Soi Lek was speaking in Mandarin, but the video which was posted on Wednesday came complete with English subtitles together with dramatic background music.
To that, Nik Nazmi accused Soi Lek of being racist, saying that the former health minister wants to completely challenge the constitution.
“People say that Pakatan, (opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim) and DAP wants to ‘sell off’ Malay rights. But here we have is a BN component party wanting to cast aspersions over the constitution. If I was in BN, I would’ve asked him to clarify his statements,” added Nik Nazmi, who is also the Seri Setia assemblyperson.
‘MCA has no consensus with BN’
Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Tian Chua said that Soi Lek has no basis to challenge PKR since he is not a member. Tian then threw the gauntlet back at Soi Lek, asking him to take it up himself in the BN supreme council meeting.
“He should start with his own party and lobby within BN... or is he trying to create the Chinese version of Perkasa?” asked Tian.
“Soi Lek may be trying to talk about the New Economic Policy, then take it up with BN lah. It’s not our implementation and he has to take the battle in his own hands,” said Tian, adding that it as always in Pakatan’s framework to respect the spirit of the constitution which is to safeguard the special position of the Malays and bumiputera.
He also pointed out that Soi Lek’s remarks showed that there is no consensus within BN on such a basic thing as the constitution of the country.
“If they can’t even agree on the constitution, then something is very wrong with the party and its leaders. Pakatan stresses to get the spirit of the constitution correctly.
“When Umno abuses it and comes up with a ketuanan Melayu, it doesn't mean that we have to throw the entire constitution away,” said Tian.
The hotly debated Article 153 of the federal constitution grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the responsibility to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
