At a Barisan Alternative Sanggang by-election ceramah on Sunday night, I had exposed Chan’s attempt to mislead the Chinese voters in his visit to the market in Sanggang - telling the people that if the PAS candidate wins in the by-election, the Chinese would not be able to eat pork or practise ancestor worship, which was meant to be particularly telling with the approach of Chen Beng or Chinese All Souls Day.
Chan also alleged that the Kelantan Mentri Besar, Nik Aziz Nik Mat feigned illness so as to avoid attending a dialogue on Saturday organised by the DAP for the Kelantan PAS state government leadership to answer whatever questions or doubts from the Chinese voters in Sanggang on Kelantan PAS state government policies and measures, because Nik Aziz could not "face up" to the Chinese voters. This was most unworthy of Chan for Nik Aziz was really ill on Saturday.
Without discussing with Nik Aziz, I had challenged Chan to a dialogue with the Kelantan Mentri Besar in Sanggang on Wednesday, March 29 for Chan to produce evidence that the Chinese in Kelantan are an "oppressed race" where there is no pork, no alcohol, no temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in tudung, pretty women cannot find work and there is a chopping of hands and feet.
If Chan and the MCA leaders are telling the truth, that the Chinese in Kelantan are an "oppressed race", this would be their "golden opportunity" to expose the Kelantan PAS state government and they would definitely have no hesitation in accepting the challenge to an open dialogue with Nik Aziz.
I had given Chan 24 hours to accept the challenge so that I could then arrange with Nik Aziz for the "Nik Aziz-Chong Kong Choy dialogue" in Sanggang on Wednesday, March 29, 2000 to let the people of Sanggang know what is the truth - whether the Chinese in Kelantan under PAS state government are an "oppressed race" where is no pork, no alcohol, no temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in tudung, pretty women cannot find work and there is a chopping of hands and feet.
But Chan dared not accept the challenge and jump at the "golden opportunity" to show Malaysian Chinese the "true colours" of PAS rule in Kelantan. On the other hand, although I had not yet spoken to Nik Aziz, I have been informed that Nik Aziz was prepared any time to appear at a dialogue to prove whether the Chinese in Kelantan under PAS rule are an "oppressed race".
As Chan dare not accept the challenge to a dialogue with Nik Aziz to prove that the Chinese in Kelantan under PAS rule are an "oppressed race", Chan should have the humility and decency to publicly withdraw and apologise for the lies the MCA have been spreading in Sanggang in the by-election that if the PAS candidate wins, the Chinese in Malaysia will lose their rights and that there will be no pork, no alcohol, no temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in tudung, pretty women cannot find work and there will be a chopping of hands and feet.
Pahang Mentri Besar, Datuk Adnan Yaakob has done UMNO, Barisan Nasional and he himself a great disservice in making crude, vulgar and indecent gestures at the Sanggang by-election nomination centre in the presence of men, women and children and refusing to apologise for his atrocious public conduct.
Having been caught red-handed in telling lies and falsehoods during his visit to Sanggang market telling the people that if Pas candidate in Sanggang by-election wins, the Chinese cannot eat pork or practise ancestor worship and that the Kelantan Mentri Besar feigned illness to avoid dialogue with the people of Sanggang, Chan should show a better example than Adnan by honourably admitting that he had been wrong and publicly apologise to Nik Aziz and the Sanggang voters for telling lies.
Chan should not be another Barisan Nasional leader in the Sanggang by-election who refused to apologise for public misconduct.
I had said at the Sanggang by-election ceramah on Sunday night that if MCA can prove that under PAS rule in Kelantan, the Chinese are an "oppressed race" and that in the state is no pork, no alcohol, no temples, no ancestor-worship, no Chinese schools, Chinese women have to cover up in tudung, pretty women cannot find work, I will call on the voters of Sanggang to vote for Barisan Nasional and reject the Barisan Alternative candidate.
My stand remains the same and I am prepared to attend any meeting at any place at any time to give the MCA leaders the opportunity to prove that the Chinese in Kelantan under PAS rule are an "oppressed race" - including the MCA headquarters or any MCA premises.
Is Chan Kong Choy and the MCA national leaders prepared to attend any meeting at any time at any place for Nik Aziz, Hadi Awang and the PAS leaders to prove that the Chinese under PAS rule in Kelantan and Terengganu are not an "oppressed race" - and in fact, enjoy rights which were not present under the Barisan Nasional and MCA state governments, e.g. Terengganu PAS state government’s immediate lifting of the ban on the rearing and slaughter of pigs which was imposed by the UMNO-MCA Terengganu state government ten years ago!
Incidentally, can Chan Kong Choy explain why the MCA leadership, both national and state, could support UMNO State Government’s decision in Terengganu to ban the rearing and slaughter of pigs for the past 10 years?
(28/3/2000)