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Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 3rd March 2011: Why not convene an emergency MCA General Assembly to allow MCA delegates to decide whether MCA should make public apology to nation and people for producing a MCA President and Deputy President who are charged for the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal? The assertion by the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek that there was no reason to apologise for the two top MCA leaders who were Transport Ministers, Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy as whatever happened was the personal conduct of the leaders concerned and his strident denial that “MCA is a cheating party” have raised eyebrows nation-wide, even in Barisan Nasional parties including his own MCA! Firstly, let me clarify that I had not asked Chua as MCA President to apologise over Ling and Chan on the ground that they were guilty of “grand corruption” as their trials have not even started – and I go along with the legal maxim that a person is innocent unless found guilty by the courts. I had however asked Chua whether as MCA President he would apologise to Umno, Barisan Nasional and all Malaysians for producing a MCA President and MCA Deputy President who are charged in court for corruption in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone scandal based on Chua’s own comments as published by the Star on Tuesday (1.3.11), viz:
Since Chua as MCA President fully supported the Attorney-General’s prosecution of the two top MCA leaders for corruption in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, isn’t his next logical and responsible action (regardless of the outcome of the trials) should be to make a national apology for a MCA President and MCA Deputy President being charged for corruption in the PKFZ scandal when they were Transport Ministers? Chua yesterday made another three more contributions to Malaysia’s lexicon of Political “Quotable Quotes”. On Monday, Chua had said that the charges against Chan will not affect the MCA. Chua’s three new “Quotable Quotes” contributions are:
Let me comment on Chua’s latest three “Quotable Quotes”. Firstly, on Chan’s assertion that MCA is not “a cheating party”: the MCA President is not the most qualified person to give such an answer, which should come from the Malaysian Chinese whom the MCA claims to represent as well as the Malaysian people. Secondly, on the pathetic attempt to dissociate Ling and Chan from MCA for their corruption charges by claiming that they concerned their “personal conduct”, the simple retort from ordinary Malaysians is whether Ling and Chan would have become Transport Ministers in their “personal capacities”! Thirdly, is Chua speaking for himself or is he speaking on behalf of the entire MCA Central Committee that there is no need for an official MCA apology for producing a President and a Deputy President who have been charged for the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal – when no personalities from the other Barisan Nasional parties have been charged? I do not think Chua can really speak on behalf of all MCA leaders and all levels of the MCA membership when he made the infamous quotes of “Charges against Chan will not affect MCA”, “Charges against Ling and Chan are their personal conduct” and “No Need to Apologise”, as I believe there are still many MCA members of honour and integrity in their rank-and-file. If Datuk Ong Tee Keat is still MCA President, for instance, I think he would tender such a national apology on behalf of MCA to Umno, Barisan Nasional and the Malaysian public if asked to do so without qualification whatsoever. May be, Chua should convene an emergency MCA General Assembly to allow the MCA delegates to decide whether MCA should tender a public and national apology to Malaysians for producing a MCA President and Deputy President who betrayed public trust and are charged for the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal! *Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor
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