YOURSAY | ‘Instead of offering help in a bipartisan way, he is putting blame on Lim.’

Amid Penang floods, Chong tells ‘deity-like’ Guan Eng not to fight the heavens

Honest: MCA Youth chief Chong Sin Woon took aim at Penang CM Lim Guan Eng’s appeal for assistance with the state’s devastating floods that have killed at least seven people, saying that the chief minister could not solve the problem by himself despite his "deity-like" status.

Chong’s remark was an apparent reference to Lim being often called "tokong" (deity).

How is it possible for a politician to shoot himself in the foot in such a manner? He could have just extended his help in a noble manner, putting aside politics. Instead, he single-handedly took a great opportunity and turned it around to have people cursing him and MCA instead.

Is MCA fielding him in the next general election? If so, they should get ready to lose even bigger than they did in GE13.

Anonymous_1392781899: This man cannot differentiate between a natural disaster and a man-made one. Even insurance companies will not compensate you if natural disasters occur unless you pay extra premium.

Instead of offering help in a bipartisan way, he is putting the blame on Lim. This is unethical. No wonder no one respects MCA - if they don’t want to be of any help, please keep quiet and stand aside.

Discovery: This is the culture of a political party that has been rejected by the community it represents. Let me issue a warning – Chong’s taunt will backfire on him and his party badly, especially with GE14 just around the corner.

Lest he forget, the day his party turned its back on its own promise not to accept any ministerial appointment, but happily with tails between legs took up the appointment given by the PM, was the day they lost whatever respect they had.

Anonymous 1850141437301427: People are suffering and there is urgent work to be done. Now is not the time to be taking political potshots at your opponents or for making snide remarks. There is time enough for all that later when the work is done and people are back in their homes.

This just shows that our ministers and deputy ministers lack the maturity to understand the difference between party alliances, political aspirations versus their ministerial duties.

You are not doing DAP or Lim a favour by extending support to Penang at this time; you are merely doing what we, the rakyat, elected you to do and pay you to be doing through our hard-earned tax dollars.

Vijay47: There's no harm in aspiring to be a comedian. Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have been at it for ages.

But using a natural disaster to score political points is a low-class approach usually indulged in by Umno. As Umno minister Salleh Said Keruak would say, "join the club."

And see you at the elections. You seemed to have overlooked that little fact that DAP will now flood the whole of Penang with your speech. The people in Penang would be thrilled to know your level of concern during their hour of need.

SusahKes: Well, let’s see who’ll have the last laugh come GE, shall we? The one who pokes fun while people are in misery, or the man who’s lifting boxes in a yellow raincoat? Which image do you think would create the better impression?

Chong apologises for Guan Eng 'deity' jibe

Anonymous 2413471460628504: "As Penangites were injured by my words, I apologise," said Chong.

So he is only apologising because Penangites were "injured". What is hidden behind that statement is that if Penangites did not take offence, he would not have apologised.

This is not a sincere apology. An apology necessitates the person's contrition for doing something wrong. The fact is his statement was in bad taste and ill-mannered. Has he proffered an apology for that?

Aries46: Chong's apology is meaningless considering the gravity of the overwhelming flood situation in Penang, the suffering of the flood victims and the helplessness of the Penang state administration.

The video of Lim's desperation and appeal to the DPM for assistance drove me to tears. He seems as helpless as the victims.

Whichever angle one fathoms Chong's reprehensible ill-timed "tokong" jibe, it smacks of an insensitive, vindictive, immature and irresponsible clot who does not differentiate between a tragedy of nature that struck at the very heart of the people's livelihood and MCA's political one-upmanship with Lim in Penang.

What is wrong with MCA? Why the preoccupation with the father and son? Why are they so desperate to topple the Lim-led state government in Penang at whatever cost? Is it to hand over to Umno as it was prior to 2008 under the disgraced Koh Tsu Koon?

Why not the same exuberance in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor where the Chinese are equally fascinated with the "rocket"?

Trueglitter: Amid the avalanche of overwhelming condemnations and consternation, the general public are deeply disheartened and disappointed at the deafening silence, let alone some form of atonement particularly from MCA President Liow Tiong Lai who, together with the gathering of attendees at the party assembly, were equally accountable and involved as they were clearly in rapturous support and applause at the abrasive utterance by his protege, Chong.

The demeaning attitude, insensitively and irresponsibly portrayed by Liow and his supporters at the annual assembly in face of the unfortunate calamity afflicting the vulnerable and helpless, particularly in Penang, would be considered a stigma of shame which is utterly abhorrent to a righteous society.

Humanity will only thrive on the intangible and inherent values within each one of us, particularly during times when adversity rears its ugly head through no human fault, and opportunists should be condemned for their hidden agendas.

Vijay47: Chong must have been instructed to make an apology for his most ill-advised of comments. And boy wonder's response? "They want apology? I will give them apology."

His reluctant, expressed regret is almost by-the-way, a short nine-word line to make up for his earlier lengthy reference to Lim's alleged divinity.

Too late, Chong. Not that it matters one way or the other, MCA's goose is already cooked.

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