Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that threatened by mounting public pressure, “BN has once again stopped to its racial games,” referring to attempts by Umno-owned media to portray the gathering for free and fair elections as a ruse by non-Malays who are making use of Malays for their own political gain.
He added that this was compounded by Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam’s remarks that “Chinese love to gamble.”
“First BN leaders insult the Malays, then the Indians and now the Chinese. Is this what they mean by 1 Malaysia?” the Bagan MP asked.
Umno’s Utusan Malaysia has repeatedly blamed PAS for encouraging Malays to be used by Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and the Chinese-dominated DAP and pitting Malays against each other.
The Penang chief minister said that BN then targeted the Indian community by attacking Ambiga, with both Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Mohd Ali calling for her citizenship to be revoked, a demand Lim said was unconstitutional and seditious.
“Now, Ali Rustam is once again displaying his shallow and racist mindset by insulting the Chinese community. The fact is that gambling was never part of the Chinese culture.
“However, because he and the rest of his party are unable to explain why they have to issue gambling licences, they attempt to apportion blame on the Chinese,” Lim added.
Mohd Ali was reported to have made the remark when speaking to reporters after yesterday’s state assembly sitting.
All five DAP assemblymen were suspended from the assembly today after demanding the chief minister retract his statement.
The rally by the electoral reforms movement on Saturday saw tens of thousands pouring into the capital city, plunging it into chaos as police arrested nearly 1,700 in clashes which saw scores injured and one dead.
The last Bersih rally in November 2007 also saw police disperse crowds with tear gas and water cannons.
It was credited with playing a major role in a general election four months later where BN lost its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament, ceding 82 seats and five state governments in its worst ever showing at the polls.
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