Thesun 2008-12-01 Page02 Wrong To Say Its A Malay Govt Tee Keat

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theSun

Wrong to say it’s a Malay govt: Tee Keat

I see no reason why we need to continue with the same old polemics that could only pose us with additional hurdles to cross.”

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said it is wrong for anybody, within or outside the party, to say that the government is a Malay government. Ong, who is also the transport minister, said the fact is that since the inception of Malaya and then Malaysia, the government has been represented by the major races in the peninsula as well as other ethnic groups, including those in Sabah and Sarawak. He said Malaysia achieved independence as a result of concerted efforts and “we manage to achieve what we have today because of interethnic collaboration”. “And this does not come

abruptly ... out of nowhere. It is wrong to say that the government is a Malay government. I see no reason why we need to continue with the same old polemics that could only pose us with additional hurdles to cross,” he told reporters after launching the Community Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) programme of St John Ambulance Malaysia here yesterday. “So, why must we put ourselves in such a position?” In Rembau later, Ong said the MCA would forever uphold the institution of the Malay rulers, the Federal Constitution and Rukunegara. He said the issue of ‘ketuanan Melayu’ harped by

certain political leaders was mere polemic and an outdated issue. “There are so many news reports and statements, as well as hard-hitting criticisms and wild accusations over the issue. And if we read them, we could feel hurt. Issues like this have no ending,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony for the SJK(C) Yuk Hua hall. “Each community has its edge and is duty-bound to learn from this. In this context, the different races in Malaysia should complement each other because in today’s world, racial conflicts or rifts could jeopardise the country’s competitiveness at the global level,” he said. However, he said, talking

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about sensitive issues did not mean that race relations in Malaysia were fragile. “I don’t see it as dangerous as long as the intention is not to cause turmoil in society and that we do not compete with each other in an unhealthy way.” Ong said the ‘ketuanan Melayu’ issue was actually not new as it was talked about by political leaders since 1986 and each individual had his or her own interpretation of the concept. “But whatever race we are, we should not just win the applause,” he said, adding that the MCA rejected the dominance of one race over the others in whatever form as the latter would feel marginalised or sidelined. – Bernama

by Opalyn Mok [email protected] GEORGE TOWN: The term ‘ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy) could be misinterpreted, and the right terminology to use should be from the Federal Constitution, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said yesterday. Commenting on Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek’s statement on Thursday that the ketuanan Melayu concept is no longer relevant, Koh said the appropriate words to use are “special position of the Malays and bumiputras” as written in the constitution. “I am unsure of the effects of using a word that is not in the constitution as it can bring about a different meaning and it could be misinterpreted,” he said.

He said the word ‘ketuanan’ may give rise to the interpretation that there’s a ‘tuan’ (master) and a ‘hamba’ (slave). “So, the proper terminology to be used should be from the constitution where it is stated that all the citizens’ rights are protected,” he said. Koh said Article 153 of the Federal Constitution provided for the special position of the Malays and bumiputras and also the legitimate interests of all the other communities. “The Federal Constitution should form the basis for all this, so there is no need to argue over it,” he said at a press conference after delivering his opening address at the Gerakan Lifelong Members’ annual general meeting On Gerakan, Koh said the

MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN

Ketuanan Melayu could be misinterpreted: Koh

g of the Gerakan Lifelon ual general meeting Keng Lim Dr Tun Koh addresses the ann ent sid left is former party pre Members. Third from Yaik.

central committee held its second meeting on Saturday, during which Datuk Lim Kheng Guan and Dr Asharuddin Ahmad were sworn in

as the two appointed central committee members, and Datuk Gooi Hoe Kin as the deputy speaker of the National Delegates Conference. Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities and central committee member Kohilan Pillay was appointed a vice-president to fill the vacancy left by the late Datuk Dr S. Vijayaratnam.

Najib and Dr M on Aljazeera PETALING JAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will appear live on Aljazeera’s Riz Khan show this week and talk on the current political situation in Malaysia and the implications of the global economic crisis. Najib will be interviewed at 10pm today, and Mahathir also at 10pm on Thursday. Viewers may call in or e-mail questions to this interactive show. They may e-mail [email protected] or call in live to the show at +1 202 275 2360. On Wednesday, also at 10pm, Riz Khan will chair a panel discussion on Malaysian politics and culture which will, among others, touch on the Internal Security Act (ISA). The three guests are blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and playwrights Kee Thuan Chye and Jo Kukhatas. Those who wish may join the chatroom via livestation.com. Aljazeera English is broadcast on Channel 513 of Astro. Riz Khan is in Kuala Lumpur for a series of live interviews on the future of Malaysia and the region as a whole.