KUALA LUMPUR: If the opposition is strengthened, it essentially means that PAS is strengthened, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in his debate with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on Saturday.
“PAS will lead them and will definitely push for Islamic laws. Religion is a sensitive issue in a multi-racial country, especially when religion is made the core of a democracy.
"Be it in economy or education, it will raise negative issues,” said Dr Chua, in the debate entitled 'Chinese at a Crossroads - Is a Two-Party System Becoming a Two-Race System?' here Saturday.
He said the opposition always lied. “Their main objective is to wrest power, and the opposition now is very diferent from the past.
Dr Chua making a point during the debate "When PAS becomes dominant, the opposition will say don't worry, it will all be good. This is the biggest political lie.
“Look at Kedah - men and women need to sit separately. No alcohol in Kelantan, no cinema in Bangi. This clearly shows DAP is a slave to PAS,” Dr Chua said.
“In DAP's history of 48 years it has only contested in Chinese majority areas, adopting the policy of using Chinese against the Chinese.
“The DAP wants to teach Umno a lesson but they dare not face Umno. In fact, they only challenge the Chinese based political party,” he said.
He said the DAP had incited hatred and split the people so that it could take over the government.
He said the Penang Chief Minister was giving false hope to the people that the Chinese could also be the heads of other states.
Lim Guan Eng gesturing during the debate. He also said that the DAP was helping the PAS to be the “tai ko” to take over the states or federal government.
After the 2008 election, Dr Chua said the DAP had the highest number of state seats but the Mentris Besar were from PAS.
Dr Chua also chided Guan Eng for saying that he wanted zero opposition in Penang in the coming election.
“How can the country establish a two-party system when there is no opposition?” he asked.
“To me, the two party system is only a slogan DAP is using to grab power.”
He also condemned the opposition candidates who lost in the election of being missing from their respective constituencies as even their service office had disappeared after they lost.
As for Guan Eng, he told the packed ballroom that Barisan has been making contradictory statements, with MCA claiming that PAS has been making use of DAP.
“However, Umno says that it is DAP that is using PAS. We are not using each other, we are ready to be used by the people.
“We are not against the Malays, Chinese or Indians but corrupt government,” he added.
Guan Eng also said it was Barisan that was a two-race coalition.
“Barisan's concept has divided the country into Malays and non-Malays since Independence in 1957.
“If the opposition comes into power, we will take care of all Malaysians, regardless of race, as we are one family,” he added.
Guan Eng urged the people to be brave enough to stand up and realise the two party-system.
He explained that with a two-party system, the party that could not perform could step down and the other party could take over.
He also promised to abolish the Penang bridge toll, to increase the oil royalties to Sabah and Sarawak, and give RM1,000 to senior citizens annually. “We want to set up a policy state and not a police state,” he said.
Guan Eng also gave, as examples, his achievements in Penang including dual languages in road signages and zero corruption after 2008.
Guan Eng refuted allegations that the Penang state government did not allocate land to Chinese primary schools, saying that it had given money to all schools, including Chinese independent schools.
“We should not bow to fate and have the right to equality. We should not kneel and beg. We should be brave enough to stand and ask for it,” he said.
He said that he had told his daughter that he wanted to be their voice so that they could continue to stay in this country and need not to leave the country for a better life.
He said the unfairness faced by the Chinese was also faced by the non-Chinese.
“We should stand together to ensure our children's future,” he said. Source: The Star Malaysia 18/02/2012
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