'Why the silence, Wee?': DAP MPs press MCA to state stand on Sanusi's comments

• UPDATED 1.20PM | Added comments from DAP central executive committee member Kasthuri Patto urging BN-PN to ‘walk the talk’.

N SEMBILAN POLLS | Two DAP MPs have demanded that MCA state its position on Perikatan Nasional election director Sanusi Nor’s remarks, which they said portrayed Chinese and Indian Malaysians as foreigners in their own country.

Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh and Kampar MP Chong Zhemin questioned MCA president Wee Ka Siong’s silence after MIC president SA Vigneswaran rejected Sanusi’s comments and called for BN to reconsider its electoral cooperation with PN.

This comes after Sanusi, during a ceramah in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, said that Malays had no other homeland, while Indians, Chinese, Cambodians and Thais had countries associated with their respective ethnic groups.

“Malays have no other land. Malays only have this Tanah Melayu. Indians have India, Chinese have China, Cambodians have Cambodia, and the Siamese have Thailand.

“Where do the Malays go? Malays are only here,” Sanusi told an audience of more than 300 people.

The Kedah menteri besar from PAS later called for his party and Umno to reunite to defend race and religion.

Where’s the condemnation?

Ramkarpal said the remarks were insensitive to non-Malays and displayed a disregard for the mutual respect among Malaysia’s different communities.

He noted the remarks also came shortly after PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on July 16 allegedly portrayed non-Malays as “pendatang”.

“There can be no doubt that such racial rhetoric ought to be severely condemned, as it has no place in multicultural and multiracial Malaysia.

“If left unchecked, it can potentially spark racial tensions,” Ramkarpal said in a statement today.

The DAP legal bureau chairperson wanted to know where MCA and MIC stood on the matter, including whether they were prepared to leave BN over it.

He said Vigneswaran’s call for BN to contest elections on its own did not mitigate the damage PAS has caused, particularly as Umno had yet to condemn Sanusi’s remarks.

“PAS’ blatant disregard of racial sensitivities, coupled with Umno’s reluctance to reprimand it, is a serious cause for concern.

“It may be a sign of things to come, given their newfound alliance, at least in Negeri Sembilan,” he added.

Ramkarpal also called on the authorities to immediately investigate Sanusi, warning that inaction could encourage similar remarks during the election campaign and harm racial relations.

Wee put to the test

Chong also questioned why MCA has not responded to such inflammatory assertions from someone its coalition is in cooperation with.

Accusing MCA of failing to defend the community it claimed to represent, he asked, “Where is Wee’s voice when Chinese Malaysians are told that China is supposedly their country?”

He noted that Wee had recently said MCA’s cooperation with PN was not unconditional and that the party would oppose anything affecting the rights and interests of Malaysia’s diverse communities.

“Sanusi has now presented him with the clearest possible test.

“If Wee still refuses to condemn Sanusi, his claim that MCA’s support for PN is ‘not unconditional’ is nothing more than empty political rhetoric,” he said in a statement today.

Chong argued that in keeping mum, MCA is providing political cover for Sanusi and amounts to condoning an attempt to portray Chinese Malaysians as belonging elsewhere.

No excuses

He said MCA could not benefit from electoral cooperation with PAS while distancing itself from racial rhetoric used by the party’s leaders.

“Vigneswaran has shown that a BN component leader can speak clearly and firmly.

“If MIC can take a principled position, what excuse does MCA have?” he asked.

Chong also asked if MCA will demand an apology from Sanusi.

“If MCA continues to remain silent, Malaysians are entitled to conclude that its electoral arrangement with PAS matters more to its leaders than the dignity and citizenship of the Chinese community it claims to represent,” he said.

Chong stressed that Malaysia was the only country of Chinese Malaysians, who were neither foreigners nor guests in the land of their birth.

“Wee and MCA must choose. They can defend the dignity of Chinese Malaysians, or they can continue providing political cover for Sanusi.

“They cannot do both,” he added.

Stop exploiting race, religion

Another DAP leader also echoed party colleagues in criticising Sanusi, describing his remarks as divisive and insulting to generations of Chinese and Indian Malaysians who regard the country as their only home.

DAP central executive committee member Kasthuri Patto accused BN and PN of exploiting race and religion for political gain, urging both coalitions to focus instead on policies and national development.

The former Batu Kawan MP further criticised Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki for claiming that DAP leader Anthony Loke could become the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar if Pakatan Harapan formed the state government after the polls, despite the state constitution requiring the post to be held by a Malay Muslim.

"Today he (Asyraf) sheepishly said what he meant was in jest - inexcusable coming from a person of position and power," she asserted.

Asyraf is not the only Umno leader who has taken aim at the incumbent Chennah assemblyperson.

Loke this morning urged Ahmad Zahid Hamidi not to be arrogant after the Umno president told voters to “kasi bungkus” Loke (send Loke packing) in the Aug 1 polls.

Kasthuri called on voters to judge candidates based on their track record and policies rather than inflammatory rhetoric, telling BN and PN to "walk the talk" on national unity before preaching it to Malaysians.

READ MORE: Sanusi indirectly accuses Umno of betraying Malays, says PKR leader

Sanusi indirectly accuses Umno of betraying Malays, says PKR leader

MIC urges BN to go solo, slams PAS' 'racial rhetoric'

'Chinese have China, Indians have India, Malays only have Tanah Melayu': Sanusi

DAP the real racist, Hamzah says when quizzed on Hadi's 'pendatang' remark

Previous PAS-Umno splits just minor differences in opinion, says Hadi

Hadi and 'pendatang'