DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Penang has achieved its successes without threatening racial or religious riots, pitting Malaysians against each other, or clamping down on freedom.

He said Penang is an oasis of diversity, celebrated through the Unesco World Heritage site of George Town, which was awarded in 2008.

“Why should different languages and cultures divide us?” Lim asked during his speech at the Johor DAP ordinary convention today.

“Calling for single stream education and indirectly closing down Chinese and Tamil schools makes us all losers when there are more and more non-Chinese in these schools,” added the Penang chief minister.

He was referring to the racially charged red-shirts rally in support of Prime Minister Najib Razak on Malaysia Day, where the protestors hurled racial slurs at the Chinese community and called for the closing down of Chinese vernacular schools.

Concerns about the rising racial tension in the country was also expressed by MCA president Liow Tiong Lai ( photo ), in the presence of Najib, at the party’s annual general meeting today.

The PM in his response, assured that Chinese schools are here to stay.

Meanwhile, Lim said Penang is recognised internationally for showing that all can benefit from celebrating diversity through mutual respect, embracing technology and showing tolerance for new ideas.

'Better economic future'

He added DAP believes Malaysians can be united through good ideas, moral principles and public integrity.

“The next general elections will be won on who can offer a better economic future.

“All the rhetoric about having clean leadership would not be relevant if we become bankrupt, or there is no competent economic management to improve the people’s lives, whether to help the poor, assist flood victims, provide better services and better education,” Lim said.

“The Pakatan Harapan state government’s performance in Penang have shown that we can unite the people through competent economic management and inclusive economic growth that benefits all.

“If we can do it in Penang, Pakatan Harapan can definitely replicate that success throughout Malaysia to save our troubled economy and restore dignity to us all,” he added.