DAP: At least Chong apologised, Umno doesn't
Published: Sep 19, 2014 12:35 PM | Updated: Sep 19, 2014 12:44 PM
Umno leaders are in no position to criticise Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen for comments on playing the national anthem in cinemas, since the latter has apologised said DAP.
Tony Pua says Umno makes worse statements and never retracts.
Umno leaders are in no position to criticise Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen for comments on playing the national anthem in cinemas, since the latter has apologised said DAP.
Its publicity chief Tony Pua said unlike Chong, Umno leaders show no remorse after making racist or incendiary remarks against minority groups and rarely apologise.
“Hence Umno leaders are in no position to take the moral high ground on the issue of Chong’s apology as they have behaved worse, told blatant and malicious lies and did not ever bother to retract their statements, much less make an apology to the public,” he said in a statement today.
As an example, he cited Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi (right) who had previously stereotyped men wearing V-neck shirts as homosexual, and had also ‘lied’ that DAP had printed 100,000 Malay-language bibles containing the word 'Allah'.
“While Umno supreme council member Puad had the cheek to say ‘sorry no cure’ to Chong, he himself is often guilty of making insensitive statements as well as telling lies without having the political courage or dignity to apologise,” said Pua, describing Puad’s previous allegations as “insane” and without basis.
The DAP parliamentarian was referring to guidelines prepared by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd and Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations and officiated by Puad in 2012.
The guidelines claim to help teachers identify homosexuals through symptoms like “(having) a muscular body and like to show their body by wearing V-neck and sleeveless clothes.”
The following year, Puad had demanded DAP to answer allegations that the party was printing the 100,000 copies of the bible to be distributed in the four states ruled by Pakatan Rakyat at the time.
'Chong opinion not disrespectful'
Meanwhile defending Chong, Pua said Chong (below) did not criticise or show disrespect to the national anthem and it was clear that he had stood at attention when it was played.
Instead, his comments were directed at the appropriateness of playing Negaraku in cinemas.
“This is because the cinema is a place of entertainment and the appropriateness of playing the anthem was questioned because the sanctity of Negaraku may be smeared,” said Pua.
A day before Malaysia Day on Sept 16, Chong made a Facebook posting that among others wondered if Malaysians would be in future forced to listen to the national anthem “before dinner, before bedtime and before S…”
He has since deleted the post and published an apology, saying that he stood by his views that it is not proper to play the national anthem in entertainment venues, but admitted his choice of words had been inappropriate.
Its publicity chief Tony Pua said unlike Chong, Umno leaders show no remorse after making racist or incendiary remarks against minority groups and rarely apologise.
“Hence Umno leaders are in no position to take the moral high ground on the issue of Chong’s apology as they have behaved worse, told blatant and malicious lies and did not ever bother to retract their statements, much less make an apology to the public,” he said in a statement today.
As an example, he cited Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi (right) who had previously stereotyped men wearing V-neck shirts as homosexual, and had also ‘lied’ that DAP had printed 100,000 Malay-language bibles containing the word 'Allah'.“While Umno supreme council member Puad had the cheek to say ‘sorry no cure’ to Chong, he himself is often guilty of making insensitive statements as well as telling lies without having the political courage or dignity to apologise,” said Pua, describing Puad’s previous allegations as “insane” and without basis.
The DAP parliamentarian was referring to guidelines prepared by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd and Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations and officiated by Puad in 2012.
The guidelines claim to help teachers identify homosexuals through symptoms like “(having) a muscular body and like to show their body by wearing V-neck and sleeveless clothes.”
The following year, Puad had demanded DAP to answer allegations that the party was printing the 100,000 copies of the bible to be distributed in the four states ruled by Pakatan Rakyat at the time.
'Chong opinion not disrespectful'
Meanwhile defending Chong, Pua said Chong (below) did not criticise or show disrespect to the national anthem and it was clear that he had stood at attention when it was played.
Instead, his comments were directed at the appropriateness of playing Negaraku in cinemas.“This is because the cinema is a place of entertainment and the appropriateness of playing the anthem was questioned because the sanctity of Negaraku may be smeared,” said Pua.
A day before Malaysia Day on Sept 16, Chong made a Facebook posting that among others wondered if Malaysians would be in future forced to listen to the national anthem “before dinner, before bedtime and before S…”
He has since deleted the post and published an apology, saying that he stood by his views that it is not proper to play the national anthem in entertainment venues, but admitted his choice of words had been inappropriate.
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