As expected, the MCA is going for racial blood. Fresh from an attack against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for awarding only 2 contracts to Chinese firms, the party is now gunning for Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
MCA vice president Gan Ping Sieu blamed the latest raid conducted by the police and the Selangor religious authorities or JAIS on the Pakatan Rakyat state administration.
"Allowing this to take place during the holy month of Ramadhan makes it all the more shameful on the part of Pakatan Rakyat. All along, the three-party Pakatan Rakyat has made a mockery of Barisan Nasional's 1Malaysia concept but last night's raid again brought to the fore the coalition's narrow-mindedness and parochial inclinations," Gan said in a statement on Thursday.
"Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's deafening silence on this matter only makes the hypocrisy of his administration more apparent. Senior executive councillors like DAP's YB Teresa Kok, who is also a Christian, should also come forward to explain whether the rights of non-Muslims in the state are safeguarded and whether Pakatan Rakyat truly believes in unity in diversity. A public, unreserved apology is also in order."
"Chee seen" and Khusrin Munawi
But while Pakatan leaders agreed that an apology to Christians was due, they said it should come from the federal government and MCA's boss UMNO in particular. Meanwhile, Khalid has expressed his regrets at the incident and demanded an explanation from JAIS. In most states, the religious authorities do not fall directly under state government's purview but answers directly to the Sultan and most appointee are UMNO stalwarts.
"It is the biggest joke. We are shocked that it has escaped Senator Gan's notice that the JAIS appointees are mostly from UMNO. Remember, the Selangor State Secretary Khusrin Munawi, whom we objected to but were forced by Prime Minister Najib Razak to accept? Well, Khusrin was the former JAIS director and an UMNO stalwart, so I think Gan has "chee seen" (or got his cables mixed). But we agree, there should an apology from JAIS to the church, Gan and MCA should demand this directly from JAIS and UMNO. We challenge him to do so," Eddie Wong, a PKR stalwart, told Malaysia Chronicle.
On Wednesday night, some 20 to 30 officers from the police and Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor, some in uniform and many in plainclothes, entered the Dream Centre building, where the Damansara Utama Church is house without a warrant.The enforcement officers interrupted a dinner held by an NGO, Harapan Kommuniti, taking photos and video. They took down the details of the Muslim guests, and when asked by the organiser, said they were acting based on a complaint. However they could not produce a copy of the complaint.
Pakatan leaders leaders have warned that the "UMNO season" for racial and religious politicking had begun and would worsen as the 13th general election, widely speculated to be in October or November, approached. They have already warned their supporters and the public to be alert for news meant to create confusion, discontent and racial unhappiness.
Penang Wanita MCA leader Tan Cheng Lian was earlier slammed for playing the race card when she accused Guan Eng's government of dishing a RM1 million contract without open tender to a 19-year old school. It turned out the contract was worth only RM500,000 and the it was a firm belong to the boy's mother which won the deal during an open tender exercise. But when pressed to apologize, MCA went quiet.
Religious bigotry
Meanwhile, Gan picked up the baton from Cheng Lian, holding Khalid Ibrahim's government responsible when the culprit was none other than his own coalition boss, UMNO.
"Last night's "transgression" of a place of worship is only one of the signs that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition has allowed extremism to creep into the administration at the expense of national unity," said Gan.
"In Selangor itself, the administration had been dogged by controversy such as the recent opposition to the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia concert purportedly on grounds that the event encouraged immoral activities. Earlier, there were also calls to ban the sale of beer in convenience stores in Muslim-majority areas."
"These, plus many other examples, such as the recent proposal to close all entertainment outlets in Kedah during Ramadhan, have raised many pertinent questions. Among them is whether the rights of the minority in this country will be sacrificed if Pakatan Rakyat comes into power. At the rate things are going, the future is bleak."
He was immediately rebuked for religious bigotry and scare-mongering.
"Malaysia has a multi-racial population including the Muslims, who form 60 per cent of the population. Gan must understand that Malays have rights too, as do the Chinese, Indians and Kadazan Dusun Murut, the Dayaks, Ibans and Bidayuh. We don't pander to any race for the sake of their favour. Decisions are made collectively and in consultation. At the end of the day, universal best practices and values must hold. So the future is bleak only if MCA remains in power because they will only condone and abet UMNO in racialising every thing just to stay in power," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
