Former cabinet minister Zainuddin Maidin’s statement in his blog that the Kajang by-election was an opportunity for the Chinese community to regain the trust of the Malays, shows he is up to the “mischief of communal politicking again”, DAP said today.

 

DAP supremo and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang said that Zainuddin’s comments were a “dangerous gambit” to racialise the Kajang by-election.

 

“Zainuddin’s attempt to turn the Kajang by-election into a racial contest by resurrecting the “Chinese tsunami” is an act of  great national disservice most unbecoming of a former cabinet minister,” Lim ( left ) said in a statement yesterday.

 

In his blog, Zainuddin said that the by-election was a “golden opportunity” for the Chinese to regain Malay trust, as the “Chinese Tsunami” during the last general elections had broken the Malays’ trust in the Chinese as good political allies.

 

 “Zainuddin can hope that the majority of voters who had voted for the Pakatan in GE13, would change sides to vote for BN in the by-election.

 

“But what is the logic for Zainuddin to turn the Kajang by-election into a communal affair, claiming that it is a chance for the Chinese to redeem themselves and regain the trust of the Malays?” Lim asked.

 

 He added it was sad that after 56 years of nationhood, a former cabinet minister and former editor of a leading newspaper is still so steeped in communal thinking that it is very clear that he is  completely bereft of any notion of Malaysian identity as espoused by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia policy.

 

Lim said that it is now urgent for the premier's positive response to bipartisan dialogues be acted on immediately, so that both coalitions can agree on a code of conduct in the by-election to ban all incitement of racial and religious hatred.

  

“The question is whether the Kajang by-election is going to be a symbol of “national reconciliation” where all racial and religious incitement of hatred, conflict and tension will end, or Malaysians will see the worst case of racial and religious polarisation as Zainuddin has tried so early to instigate?” Lim asked.