An MCA leader recognised the importance of Malaysians to be proficient in the national language, but criticised the call for those who are unable to master Bahasa Malaysia to be stripped of their citizenship.

MCA religious harmony bureau deputy chief Ng Chok Sin said the values of citizenship should be centred on abiding with the rule of law.

Without mentioning names, he roped Jamal Md Yunus and his red shirts movement to illustrate his point.

"For someone who only speaks Bahasa Malaysia be it fluently or colloquially, but issues May 13 'parang terbang' threats, or another who does a flying kick against a biker whom he has separate values with - are such violent behaviour reflective of Malaysian citizenship as opposed to an elderly folk who is more at ease with his or her mother tongue and leads a simple, humble life without interfering into the personal security of others?" he asked.

Ng raised this issue in demanding DAP to declare its position regarding Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) secretary-general Shahruddin Salleh, who wanted citizenship revoked for those who failed their BM examination.

He said Shahruddin's demand to strip Malaysians who did not pass their BM exams of their citizenship would cause many septuagenarians, octogenarians, nonagenarians and centenarians to be stateless as they might have sat for the Senior Cambridge exams before Malaya achieved independence, or they may be uneducated.

"Is he aware that Malaysians born in Strait Settlement states ie Penang and Malacca prior to Merdeka were made automatic Malayan citizens once Independence was obtained, or that Sabahans and Sarawakians were also made automatic Malaysian citizens when the Federation of Malaysia was formed on Sept 16, 1963 after the Malaysian Agreement was reached?

"Likewise for many indigenous Malaysians be they the Orang Asli on the Peninsular or those from Sabah and Sarawak, who living in the hinterlands interior do not have easy access to schooling or who did not complete formal education, but lead simple lives off the land.

"Is Shahrudin calling that their blue MyKads be unilaterally destroyed and switched to red?" he added.