MCA Youth says Pakatan Rakyat indirectly contributed to the heckling and an alleged attempted assault on its leader Wee Ka Siong during the Sunday rally on Chinese education.

NONE Wee’s deputy Dr Mah Hang Soon ( right ) said Pakatan leaders such as Saifuddin Nasution, Tian Chua and Teresa Kok should be condemned because they failed to appeal to the crowd to exercise restraint.

“Indirectly, they contributed to the heckling and attempted physical assault against Wee,” he said in a statement today.

Mah also said  the Pakatan leaders have yet to criticise the alleged attempted assault and hostilities shown by rally participants against Wee.

By not doing so, he claimed, Pakatan was endorsing the actions of the rally participants.

“If they do not accept heckling from the audience, why did Pakatan leaders in attendance not address the crowd advising them to be rational and to behave calmly?” he asked.

In view of this, Mah said, Pakatan “radiates sheer hypocrisy” by preaching freedom of speech and right to assembly but failed to ensure Wee’s safety or respect differing opinions.

No the first time

He said there has been a pattern of such behaviour from Pakatan leaders, pointing to a forum in Penang on March 15, in which Penang MCA Wanita chief Tan Cheng Liang was subjected to verbal abuse from Pakatan supporters.

Mah said DAP Wanita chief Chong Eng, another speaker at the forum, did not chide the crowd for their behaviour, which included repeatedly calling Tan an ‘ old hen ’, which is considered a cheeky insult in Hokkien.

dong zong chinese school 325 protest 250312 Meanwhile, Mah said Wee’s presence along with MCA Youth education bureau chief Chong Sin Woon proved that the party was willing to listen to the people.

“If they were absent from the rally, Pakatan leaders would have had a field day deriding MCA for snubbing the event.

“Their presence despite the highly-charged atmosphere indicates that MCA Youth listens to grouses from the ground irrespective of political affiliation. MCA Youth is with the masses,” said Mah.

Instead of jeering, the public should allow time for Wee to implement the Education Ministry’s eight-point formula designed to address the acute shortage of Chinese-educated teachers.

“To be dismissive of the measures undertaken by the ministry, without even giving time to see the results, means one is already clouded with bias and will find faults, no matter how much effort is initiated,” Mah added.

The rally at New Era College, Kajang - dubbed the 325 rally - was organised by Chinese education umbrella group Dong Zong, in protest against the government’s failure to address the three-decade old problem of shortages in Chinese-trained teachers.