Chinese Malaysians are marginalised

MALAYSIA'S main opposition party has
expressed agreement with the comments Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew made on how Malaysia treats its Chinese citizens. The Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP) said it was an 'obvious fact' that the Chinese in Malaysia were marginalised. The party's secretary-general, Mr Lim Guan Eng, said the Chinese were not the only victims of discrimination.

'The Chinese Malaysians, together with other
non-Chinese like the Indians, East Malaysians and even
poor Malays, have been systematically marginalised by
discriminatory government policies that only favour
the rich and politically connected,' he said.

The DAP's statement came just a day after Malaysian
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi demanded a
clarification from MM Lee over his comments.

At a dialogue for good governance in Singapore on Sept
15, Mr Lee said that the attitude of Malaysia and
Indonesia towards the Republic was shaped by the way
they treated their ethnic Chinese minorities.

Mr Lee said: 'My neighbours both have problems with
their Chinese.

They are successful, they are hardworking and
therefore they are systematically marginalised, even
in education.

'And they want Singapore, to put it simply, to be like
their Chinese, compliant.'

MM Lee's comments were criticised by the Malaysian
Chinese parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN)
coalition as well.

Mr Lim referred to this as 'politics of denial' by BN
leaders.

'It is dishonest as BN leaders themselves have stated
that discriminatory government policies such as quotas
and the New Economic Policy that result in some
political and social marginalisation are necessary for
racial harmony and national stability,' he said.

He said that as long as BN leaders, including former
premier Mahathir Mohamad, cannot factually disprove MM
Lee's claim, 'their emotional denials are like empty
vessels making the most noise to cover up the politics
of Umno dominance and discrimination'.

The DAP leader also attacked Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, the
deputy president of Gerakan, for saying that MM Lee
did not appreciate the challenges of running a country
that was bigger, more complicated and diverse than
Singapore.

Said Mr Lim: 'This is perverse logic. If so, then can
we support the apartheid polices of South Africa in
the 1980s just because South Africa was bigger, more
complicated and diverse than Malaysia?'

Mr Lim then turned on MCA president Ong Ka Ting, who
argued that it was unfair and subjective to say
Chinese Malaysians were marginalised because the party
took it up if there were injustices against them.

'If that is the case, why is it that in Cabinet, four
MCA ministers could not convince but had to submit and
bow to one Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein?'
he asked.

He was referring to a public admonishing of Deputy
Higher Education Minister and MCA vice-president Ong
Tee Keat, who alleged that Education Ministry
officials had pocketed funds meant for vernacular
schools.

Mr Ong Ka Ting was reported to have said on Friday
that MM Lee's comments had been 'unreasonable'.

He added that Chinese Malaysians were not a submissive
lot as MM Lee alleged, and that they knew to speak up
for their rights when the situation warranted it.

The China Press daily yesterday reported veteran
Chinese educationist Sim Mou Yu as saying that Chinese
Malaysians should thank MM Lee for pointing out they
had been marginalised.

Though it was reality, Chinese political parties had
preferred to keep quiet about it, he said.

He added that the leaders of the Chinese political
parties did not speak from their heart when reacting
to MM Lee's comments.

He also told the Nanyang Siang Pau newspaper that
Chinese Malaysians should reflect deeply on MM Lee's
comments and use this opportunity to voice their
feelings through the right channels.

He also pointed out that the various quota systems
show that Chinese Malaysians have been marginalised,
though the government is supposed to treat all
taxpayers equally.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak last week denied
that non-Malays were discriminated against and said
the country practised 'fair' distribution of wealth.

Responding to this, a commentary in Nanyang Siang Pau
said yesterday: 'And if 'fair' distribution of wealth
is really practised, why is Malaysia's income gap
still so wide?...Why is it that 'fair' distribution of
wealth benefits only the ruling elite and those
related to them?

'In addition, aren't Chinese Malaysians also
marginalised where education is concerned? Didn't
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Noh Omar say recently
the government will not build additional Chinese
primary schools under the Ninth Malaysia Plan?'