Lately, MCA has joined the bandwagon to hit out at DAP Penang. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is probably the only prominent politician in the country that continues to be unfairly targeted for criticism. There is no end to the controversies being concocted, out of spite and jealousy, despite the fact that Penang’s CAT government has come out tops in the country as the best governed state.
Hardly a week goes by, without some BN leader taking pot shots at Lim or DAP. Somehow, it always seems to bounce off harmlessly leaving Guan Eng coming out smelling like a rose, vindicated and stronger. In the past two weeks, Penang MCA has repeatedly accused the DAP-led state government of being anti-Chinese for awarding only two contracts in the past three years to Chinese contractors.
MCA plays race card: Cina tak boleh?
Tan Cheng Lian, Wanita MCA Deputy Secretary-General, is the latest to call the DAP dishonest and unfair for the Penang government’s decision to award only 0.2 per cent of the 968 projects worth RM125million tendered to the Chinese community, while suggesting that the Chinese Contractors appeared to be “incompetent” in the eyes of the DAP.
Pointing out that the Chinese only obtained 2 projects; worth RM700,004 and the other RM15,000, Tan questioned whether the Chief Minister meant to say that Penang Chinese ‘tak boleh’? How can the Penang Chinese swallow this-that they are not competent? Are so many Chinese contractors in Penang unable to match the standards of a 19-year old contractor who is also a college student but was awarded an RM1million project? How do we know these projects have not been awarded to their cronies? Is this DAP’s so-called transparency?
Meanwhile, the father of the alleged 19-year-old student contractor has denied the allegation. Abdul Wahab Abdullah said the project was won by Syarikat Syamir, a company managed by his wife Rozidah Omar. It is worth RM500,000 and not RM1mil as reported by a newspaper,” stressing that his son Nursufi only acted as project manager of a two-storey religious school building in Batu Maung which has since been completed.
The Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia’s (PKMM) acting chief Datuk Izham Merican today slammed what he said was Penang MCA’s “ignorance” for failing to understand that open tenders allowed the State Government to select the best and most competitively priced contractors, regardless of race. He also defended the state’s open tender system as fair and warned Penang MCA to stop politicising contracts awarded to Bumiputeras there.
“By only questioning contracts awarded to Malays, is MCA being racist towards the abilities of Malay contractors whom they regard as less competent than other contractors?” Izham said in a statement today. “The Penang Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia strongly rejects MCA’s racist sentiment which insults Malay contractors.
He also pointed out that non-Bumiputeras were not side-lined as contracts given to Bumiputera companies required suppliers and construction workers which were non-Bumiputeras. Izham then praised Guan Eng for his professionalism and willingness to help Penangites of all races, including Umno-dominated PKMM, despite widespread criticism.
Chinese lost fair and square – as simple as that!
It must be pointed out that before this, the Penang administration under Lim was regularly been accused by UMNO as being racist for allegedly discrimination toward the Malay community.
MCA’s latest salvo has also attracted widespread criticism from the public, with people from all races condemning Tan’s allegation as rude, malicious and outrightly seditious. Pitting the Chinese against the DAP at the expense of the Malay Race is downright insulting to both sides of the divide.
Tan in her damaging statement, refused to acknowledge that the majority projects won by Bumiputras were legally tendered, and that the Chinese simply lost in a fair tender process.
Making an example of the 19yr old contractor in her allegations is truly demeaning and concocted for maximum damage. She even had the cheek to inflate the project cost to RM1 million when it was only half the cost. Tan should seriously check her facts before opening her big mouth. Isn’t it incredibly ridiculous that a transparent tender exercise can award a RM1 million project to a 19yr old schoolboy? Even a fish won’t get into trouble, if it knows when to keep its big mouth shut.
Moreover, most of the Chinese in Penang had shifted business focus from contracting to others, with the lack of projects given out during the Gerakan administration led by Koh Tsu Koon.
MCA is seriously running out of time and ideas if Tan cannot come up with anything concrete and truthful to oppose the DAP. Using the Racial Card to discredit the Penang DAP is not only seditious but downright insulting.
It’s a wonder the Police have not seen it fit to confiscate her computer and modem like they did to Guan Eng’s videographer, Lilian Chan. Even the Chinese are not convinced at her tall tales, while she had unwittingly stirred up the anger of the Bumiputras in the process.
It looks like it is now the BN family strategy to go flat out on racial and religious issues ahead of the 13th general election. UMNO, finger always on the racial and religious trigger, is now being closely followed by MCA.
MIC will come out out and we bet Gerakan’s Koh Tsu Koon will be asking his boy wonder from Kedah to also start something. Let the the fun and games begin!
- Malaysia Chronicle
http://www.kl-today.com/2011/08/mcagreat-defender-of-chinese/
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