Chua: LGE in no position to talk of voting rights
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has deflected attacks against the party for its opposition to the extension of overseas voting to all Malaysians.
MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has deflected attacks against the party for its opposition to the extension of overseas voting to all Malaysians.
In a statement, Chua (
right
) said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in particular, is in no position to demand an apology given the purported silence of DAP leaders over PAS’ hudud plans.
“I have been asking DAP publicly to tell the people whether the implementation of hudud by PAS would affect the non-Muslims.
“I also asked the DAP as to whether the implementation of Hudud would bring a detrimental impact on the country’s social economy, politics and educational system to the non-Muslims.
“Not one leader from DAP or Pakatan Rakyat, which has been openly persuading the non-Muslims to support PAS, is able to give the people a clear and firm answer,” said the former health minister.
Taking the opportunity to attack DAP for lacking a “democratically elected leadership”, Chua said DAP should not use the issue of overseas voting to detract from its own issues with PAS.
“In view that the top leadership of DAP is not even democratically elected, hence it is the least qualified party to talk about democracy.
“Please do not politicise the overseas voting issue as a way out of not being able to face the people in answering my questions on the implementation of hudud law by PAS,” said Chua.
He was referring to DAP's practice of its members electing its central committee, from whom its top office holders are appointed.
Last Friday, MCA's Ei Kim Hock ( left ) told the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform that Malaysians residing overseas depended on the Internet to obtain news about the country.
These Malaysians were thus " out of touch " and relied only on biased and wrong information to decide on how to cast their votes at the ballot box, said Ei.
The subsequent outrage at his remarks forced Chua to clarify that MCA was not against proposals to allow Malaysians residing overseas the right to vote, but was merely worried about the logistics involved.
Lim ( right ) said Chua owed Malaysians an apology on the matter.
“Just because I’m overseas, I’m not longer a Malaysian? Don’t I have any rights? I find that very insulting... they should apologise to all the Malaysians, starting with Chua,” said Lim, who is also Penang chief minister.
Chua in his statement said he would like to reiterate that MCA was not against overseas Malaysians voting during the general election.
“However, there are simply too many factors to be considered and resolved before it can be done," he said.
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