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MCA: ‘Gentle’ Heng can help PM mend racial rift
Published:  Jul 4, 2015 10:00 AM
Updated: 2:10 AM

MCA Beliawanis today defended the appointment of MCA Wanita chief Heng Seai Kie as a minister-level special adviser to the prime minister in charge of national unity.

 

"With her well-known gentle personality, the appointment of Datuk Heng as a special adviser in the Prime Minister's Department is timely and crucial, looking at the recent spike in racial and religious extremism, which asserts the urgency to implement the national unity blueprint.

 

"In short, Heng's appointment shows the government’s concern and seriousness in enhancing racial harmony, national unity and integration," said MCA Beliawanis chief Ivone Low Yi Wen.

 

Low also slammed DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok who had criticised the appointment .

 

Kok pointed out the irony of Heng - who had said Chinese should support the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as Malays would need to pay more - was appointed to oversee the implementation of the national unity blueprint.

 

In her statement, Low accused Kok of politicising the matter, adding that Heng was "victimised" and her remarks were misquoted by China Press .

 

"A certain online news portal biased towards DAP had, at that time, viciously manipulated the quote to create racial hatred for their own political agenda during the by-election.

 

"If anyone were to be labelled as racist, then it is none other than the said online news portal and DAP leaders, especially Teresa Kok, who had viciously twisted her comment into a racist issue to gain votes," said Low.

 

Heng’s track record

 

Low said Heng's track record proved that she is capable, inclusive, and sincere, adding that this was in contrast to Kok's performance when she was a Selangor exco member.

 

On June 30, China Press reported Heng as urging Chinese to support GST as Malays would have to pay more.

 

Heng subsequently accused China Press of quoting her out of context and the daily was subsequently forced to retract its report and apologised.

 

However, a full recording of her comments to China Press in Mandarin was later posted to her Facebook.

According to the recording, Heng had highlighted what she said was two traits of the Chinese community, namely being of high income and having few children.

 

She then went on to say: "In Malaysia, anyone can oppose GST but the Chinese do not have any reason to oppose GST because of these two patterns.

 

"You have fewer children, your consumption will be less, so this GST system is beneficial to us (Chinese).

 

"They (Malays) have more children, so they have to pay more, right? So Chinese shouldn't oppose for the sake of opposing," she said.

 

The recording in Mandarin can be heard below.

 

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