DAP has challenged Election Commission deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar and Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Rais Yatim to show proof that the opposition party had indulged in racist tactics in the recent Sarawak polls.
The party's publicity secretary Tony Pua (left) warned that if neither can show that a DAP candidate, in particular, had at a ceramah uttered a racial slur against the Melanau minority, the party will contemplate taking legal action over the matter.
"Barisan Nasional, having lost the confidence of the public, particularly in the urban centres, are now using government agencies such as the Election Commission to incite racial hatred against the DAP in order to protect their own selfish political interest," sniped Pua, who is also Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentarian, in a statement.
He was referring to a column in Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia in which Wan Ahmad was quoted as having accused DAP or running a racist campaign in the recently-concluded Sarawak election.
Wan Ahmad, was reported as having cited Rais' claim that DAP's Pending candidate, Violet Yong, had told a 'closed-door' ceramah that "dah cukup masa orang Melanau jadi menteri besar" (we have had enough of a Melanau being the chief minister).
Pua described the accusations by Wan Ahmad as being "all desperate lies" from people "who has not only failed to ensure free and fair elections in Sarawak but are now trying to justify to its political masters why EC failed to curb the people's will to vote for Pakatan Rakyat in the urban centres."
Wan Ahmad (right) had also reportedly claimed during his rounds to inspect preparations for the state polls, he had found that most of DAP's Chinese-language banners contained elements of racism and were incendiary in nature.
There were 'too many' of such posters and banners, the commissioner reportedly claimed, that the EC and police were unable to take any action.
"It would not wrong to say that there were racially-tinged campaigns throughout the big towns in Sarawak, especially those by DAP," Wan Ahmad was quoted as saying.
Lambasting the accusations, Pua challenged the EC to come up with proof that the DAP had put up banners that incite to racial hatred and anger.
"Throughout the entire campaign, we have ensure that practically all our campaign materials contains at least two languages, whether in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese or Iban.
"Our campaign theme has been thoroughly focussed on fighting corruption, cronyism and abuse of power and never on a particular race," said Pua.
The party's publicity secretary Tony Pua (left) warned that if neither can show that a DAP candidate, in particular, had at a ceramah uttered a racial slur against the Melanau minority, the party will contemplate taking legal action over the matter."Barisan Nasional, having lost the confidence of the public, particularly in the urban centres, are now using government agencies such as the Election Commission to incite racial hatred against the DAP in order to protect their own selfish political interest," sniped Pua, who is also Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentarian, in a statement.
He was referring to a column in Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia in which Wan Ahmad was quoted as having accused DAP or running a racist campaign in the recently-concluded Sarawak election.
Wan Ahmad, was reported as having cited Rais' claim that DAP's Pending candidate, Violet Yong, had told a 'closed-door' ceramah that "dah cukup masa orang Melanau jadi menteri besar" (we have had enough of a Melanau being the chief minister).
Pua described the accusations by Wan Ahmad as being "all desperate lies" from people "who has not only failed to ensure free and fair elections in Sarawak but are now trying to justify to its political masters why EC failed to curb the people's will to vote for Pakatan Rakyat in the urban centres."
Wan Ahmad (right) had also reportedly claimed during his rounds to inspect preparations for the state polls, he had found that most of DAP's Chinese-language banners contained elements of racism and were incendiary in nature.There were 'too many' of such posters and banners, the commissioner reportedly claimed, that the EC and police were unable to take any action.
"It would not wrong to say that there were racially-tinged campaigns throughout the big towns in Sarawak, especially those by DAP," Wan Ahmad was quoted as saying.
Lambasting the accusations, Pua challenged the EC to come up with proof that the DAP had put up banners that incite to racial hatred and anger.
"Throughout the entire campaign, we have ensure that practically all our campaign materials contains at least two languages, whether in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese or Iban.
"Our campaign theme has been thoroughly focussed on fighting corruption, cronyism and abuse of power and never on a particular race," said Pua.
Malicious lies
He also expressed certainty that if the EC with its legions of officers and their ready cameras had proof of serious transgressions, they should show such evidence "instead of spreading malicious lies."
If there were any party which had resorted to racial slurs during the election campaign and polling, it was BN and its component party SUPP, in particular.
"Nearly all SUPP banners were only in the Chinese language, and they threatened the Chinese community that if the latter failed to support SUPP, the government will ignore their needs in the future.
"Why didn't EC reprimand or take action against the SUPP?" asked Pua.
"In addition, the DAP has never held any "closed door" ceramahs in Sarawak.
"All our events whether in public places or function rooms, were always open to public, including to the media and special branch officers, who had diligently video-recorded every word uttered by our leaders."Demanding a public apology from Wan Ahmad and Rais (left), Pua said Wan Ahmad in particular, should resign not only for "failing to ensure a level playing field for elections in Sarawak" but for having become "the cat's paw for BN to defame and denigrate Pakatan Rakyat component parties."
Comments
Post a Comment