(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik yesterday openly called on the Malaysian Chinese Organsations’ Election Appeals Committee (Suqiu) to withdraw several of its demands which were deemed "sensitive".
He said while about 98 per cent of the 83 Suqiu demands were centred around human rights, housing, the environment and other universal values, there were those which touched on sensitive issues like "the rights of bumiputeras which are enshrined in the Federal Constitution" which are "too sensitive and should not be openly discussed".
This was not what he said on August 17 last year, when together with Gerakan President, Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik and SUPP Deputy President, Datuk Law Hieng Ding, Liong Sik publicly announced full endorsement of the 17-point Suqiu as "universal principles accepted by all" and after the Cabinet meeting of Sept. 22, 1999, he announced that the Suqiu had been "accepted in principle" by the Cabinet.
Why didn’t Liong Sik, together with Keng Yaik and Hieng Ding, announce on August 17 last year that MCA, Gerakan and SUPP could only accept 98 per cent of the Suqiu demands and ask for the retraction of the "objectionable" 2 % as being too "sensitive" and even unconstitutional?
If it is true that Suqiu contained demands which are "sensitive" in that they violate entrenched constitutional rights, which makes every such action an offence under the Sedition Act, then they could not even be discussed within "closed doors" as a person who called for the abolition of Malay special rights would have committed the offence of sedition whether made in the open or at a closed-door meeting.
It is for this reason that the Utusan Malaysia editorial today entitled "Suqiu melanjutkan perjuangan DAP" has been referred to DAP lawyers to consider the options of criminal and/or civil action for the gross untruth that DAP challenges the entrenched constitutional position of Malay special rights - an example of the most irresponsible journalism to incite racial ill-will and antagonism in the country.
In asking Suqiu to withdraw several of its "sensitive" demands, Liong Sik should specify the demands which to him have violated entrenched sensitive constitutional provisions - which if true, would mean that Suqiu had already run afoul of the Sedition Act.
DAP had declared its support for the 17-point Suqiu Demands because they do not violate the entrenched constitutional sensitive positions and are in line with Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia concept.
If the Suqiu demand to replace the race-based quota system with a means- tested sliding scale is "seditious", then is the call for the phasing out of "guaranteed outcome system" like quotas to be replaced by competition to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness to remove distortions and inefficiencies in the economy also an offence of sedition - a call which Liong Sik publicly made in 1989?
The call for the abolition of the distinction of Malaysians into bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras is not aimed at challenging and removing the entrenched constitutional position of Malay special rights but to take into account Vision 2020 and the Bangsa Malaysia concept, where all Malaysians born and bred in the country should be regarded as one common people, all sons and daughters of the soil in the 21st century-Malaysia within the context of existing constitutional provisions.
What should be of the greatest concern to Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs, is that in the 21st century, the politics of blackmail as practised by GPMS should not be allowed to rear its ugly head in the country.
GPMS can make its 100 demands but it should not be allowed to manufacture a synthetic ethnic crisis and escalate ethnic tensions by threatening 100,000 Malays Protest Rally in a multi-racial society 43 years after nationhood.
One way to end the uncalled-for and unwarranted ethnic sabre-rattling
by GPMS and others is for the convening of an all-party closed-door conference
on the 83 Suqiu Demands and the 100 GPMS Demands not only to show
the people and the world that Malaysian democracy has reached a new maturity
but also to attempt a new national political consensus to bind Malaysians
for the new millennium.
(20/12/2000)