“Position of BN component parties like beggars” is the headline of today’s Sin Chew Daily exclusive interview with former Gerakan President Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, with a secondary headline: “Not given equal respect – Lim Keng Yaik”
Keng Yaik, who is now Gerakan adviser, told Sin Chew that Barisan Nasional component parties like MCA, MIC including Gerakan ended up with status like that of “beggars” as they were not given equal position in the Barisan Nasional.
He criticized BN for not treating its component parties equally. He stressed that although Malay special rights are protected under the Constitution, the non-Malays also clearly enjoy their own rights.
This is a gem of an admission from Keng Yaik, who had been a Cabinet Minister for 22 years from 1986 to 2008.
MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties had long been criticized for accepting “beggar politics” in the Barisan Nasional and Cabinet.
When did Keng Yaik discover that he had been a “beggar Minister” for 22 years? After his political retirement and the March 8 political tsunami?
During the 2008 general election campaign, Keng Yaik went all out to campaign for Dr. Koh Tsu Koon to replace him as the Gerakan “beggar Minister” in Cabinet and to send his son, Lim Si Pin to be a “beggar” MP in the Malaysian Parliament.
Why had Keng Yaik been so blind that he was blissfully unaware for more than two decades that he had been a “beggar Minister” for 22 years, with the scales coming out of his eyes only after the March 8 “political tsunami”?
#1 by limkamput on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 12:02 am
What are you dragging? Undergrad2
I am dreadful of you, knowing that you will read every line and every word I wrote. I have to drag my feet to come here because of you. Thank you for pointing out my Ahbeng English. I will be the first to enrol in your English class when you set up business in Kg Attap.
#2 by pgsilai on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 12:43 am
At least he has the guts to claim that statement, Beggar Minister. It’s not too late for him to realized and the rest of Gerakan members. Maybe they should seriously consider jump into another boat, otherwise for them to win Penang back will be “A Dream on”
I agree with the rest of you, he should speak less and go somewhere secluded and retire quietly.
#3 by raven77 on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 1:28 am
This was exactly what the Rakyat were begging you to listen and do something….but its too late now isnt it…….politicians never learn……
#4 by undergrad2 on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 5:33 am
limkamput,
Humor is much better than name calling. Don’t you agree? Even if it is at one’s own expense.
#5 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 8:19 am
Kit,
It is not that LKY had been so blind that he was blissfully unaware for more than two decades that he had been a “beggar Minister” for 22 years. I believe he knew of the “beggar” problem at a very very early stage (even men on the street knew of the “beggar” problem). However, being well fed and well looked after by his boss (UMNO) and enjoying all the “goodies” of a Minister, he was not interested in voicing out his concern and taking corrective actions. Would a high staff challenge his boss to get himself (the staff) fired?
The electorate must be warned of errant, unscrupulous, selfish politicians who only know how to take care of their own interest but not the problems of the people.
#6 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 8:26 am
CORRECTION:
Would a high RANKING staff challenge his boss to get himself (the staff) fired?
The word “RANKING” was missing in my comment at 08: 19.42.
#7 by caishen on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 8:37 am
The awakening beggar under Umnokurap’s control.
Umnokurap destroyed the future of their fellow component parties.
Umnokurap raised them up like a spoiled child.
Today, they fought back and hunger for more.
Umnokurap is on the verse of bankrupt and their partners are beginning to split-up and becomes beggars.
Now, this beggars are knocking at the doorstep of PR.
They starts bad-mouth their strained relationship.
It is up to the PR council to decide whether to admit them into PR coalition.
#8 by seage on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 8:43 am
Hahaha… LKY is such a buffon. What he is displaying now is another trade of his “beggarhood”. admitting to be a beggar by continuing to beg for the rakyat’s understanding and forgiveness… HAHAHA What a joke! Nevertheless, since u have begged, we the rakyat will be forgiving provided that you cough out every single ringgit that you have taken from the rakyat and expose the evil deeds of the “Bo Nao” (No Brain) gavemen during your 22 yrs office. I long to see a Malaysia that is fair to all and the people no longer haf to worry about inflation (Why must we when we can grow our own rice, the source that moves our physical body, and we can produce our own fuel, the source that moves the economy).
#9 by ckchung on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 9:20 am
what LKY said to Sin Chew and Astro AEC will not touched my heart even a little bit, just a old man talk regret to do what the right things, my daddy live more happy than him many ways.
#10 by boh-liao on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 9:48 am
The real culprits are the voters, who for unknown ‘fear factor’ reason or selfish reason, kept voting for BN election after election, despite the fact that they and the politicians knew that BN is just a bunch of ball-less lame non-Malay politicians (serfs) under the complete control of and bullied by arrogant, racist, self-enriching, and corrupt Umnoputras.
LKY warned that parties like Umno, MCA and MIC would have to dissolve if they failed to adopt a multi-racial approach.
Poor thing! Had LKY regularly read the comments posted in this LKS’s blog since day one, he would have been enlightened much earlier and got the wisdom of the many commentators who wrote that race-based political parties in Malaysia are irrelevant and the curse to national unity.
It’s not too late for Gerakan, MCA, MIC, and other non-Umno BN component political parties to pull out of the BN. Let Umno = BN and see if Umno can form the Federal Government on its own.
#11 by yhsiew on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 11:24 am
It is disgusting to hear LKY make such a statement only after leaving office. LKY knew full well that if he made such a comment while still in office, the Chinese community would hold him responsible and pressure him to bargain with UMNO. By so doing, he risked losing his ministerial job and the “goodies” that went with the post.
He made very sure that he would only speak after he had stocked up enough wealth and after he had retired!
#12 by ilovedap on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 12:29 pm
Gerakan can close shop and join DAP or PKR while Lim Keng Yaik can go and watch Spice Girls concert. End of story.
#13 by Cinapek on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 12:36 pm
And you think UMNO cares even if this “beggar ex minister” makes this revelation? Pak Lah indirectly said in public a few days ago that UMNO actually did ok in the GE, insinuating that BN’s loss of two third in Parliament was caused by the non UMNO members of the BN, not because UMNO treated their partners like dirt.
LOng before this I had started calling the MCA “eunuchs” and told them not to practise appeasement politics, which in history has proven to be disastrous time and again. If UMNO can do things that can damage your party in public then by all means tell them off in public as well. Not the same old rubbish of settling things behind closed doors.
#14 by ilovedap on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 12:42 pm
Cinapek,
Even some low rank Putras can tell Keng Yaik and Tsu Koon to shut up in parliament, what are the chances they will accept being told off in the public? None.
#15 by Swordsman on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 1:28 pm
MCA, Gerakan and MIC do not even live up to their self-denigrated status of “beggars”.
A beggar begs for himself and may be his family as well. His accomplishment can be measured on a daily basis, based on his “collection” at the end of each day.
After 50 years, MCA, Gerakan and MIC, having awaken from their long slumber as beggars, still have no alms in their open palms to show to their communities. MCA and Gerakan had consistently failed to convey the aspirations and concerns of the Chinese community to UMNO. They hide their cowardice behind the smoke-screen “we will do it the BN way, we discuss behind closed doors.” When did they ever disclose to us the end result of their “behind closed door” meetings? NEVER.
If they had admitted to us that they are politically impotent to fight for our rights and that they may have to represent us to “beg” for our rights from UMNO, we would have admired their guts and respect their sacrifice for the good of the communities. But they lied to us all along, pretending that they can defend and advance our community’s rights.
We knew they were beggars, but they denied it. Only when the “chain of self interests” which bound the corrupt politicians together had been broken (by virtue of the fact that the leaders of MCA. Gerakan and MIC are no longer in the Govt), they finally located their conscience and started to tell the truth.
I have a close friend who is a veteran of Gerakan. He used to brim with pride for being a Gerakan member. He holds the strong belief that Gerakan Ministers and Govt officials are not corrupt. I argued with him that corruption does not mean one has to steal from the country or Rakyat to be corrupt. If Gerakan, which is part of the BN Govt, stands idle and watch the UMNOputras and cronies stealing the country blind, then Gerakan is as corrupt as UMNO because it is abetting UMNO in these corrupt activities. He agreed with me.
After the 8 Mar GE, I asked how he felt since Gerakan had been totally wiped out from Penang. His reply stunned me. “I am very HAPPY, Gerakan may have lost but the Rakyat won.” he exclaimed.
Lim Guan Eng had just uncovered the massive fraudulent land deal relating to the PGCC. Koh Tsu Koon may not be corrupt per se, but he facilitated the UMNOputras and cronies
in reaping “windfall profits” at the expense of the State Govt and the Rakyat. If LGE’s allegations turn out to be true, then Gerakan would be totally uprooted from Penang.
I do not mean to denigrate or show disrespect to KTK but rather to assist him in doing a self “mystic” evaluation. Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of face-reading can tell that KTK has the face of a scholar (??) and not that of a high Govt official (???)?When one career is not congruent with the dictates of destiny, the end result will be disappoint
#16 by wag-the-dog on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 1:58 pm
Einstein’s letter makes view of religion relatively clear.
Visit http://www.wagthedog-malaysia.blogspot.com for details.
#17 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 2:12 pm
Keng Yaik, what a pitiful spectacle you have made out of yrself and BN component parties – all those past bravadoes now giving way to confessions of dripping hypocrisy. AT least, you are courageous and honest even though it’s somewhat of a Johnny-come-lately confession of what EVERYBODY had known all along.
Sad thing also for Tun M. It’s another slap on his face. This fella doesn’t desrve his Tun-ship for all the wrecks, mishaps and mess he’s caused, if you ask for my honest opinion. But it’s only my opinion. Anyone concurs?
#18 by chanjoe on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 4:49 pm
YB LKS,
Just read that your DAP ADUN for Jelapang, Ms Hee Yit Foong, is on shaky ground and may cross over to either MCA or Gerakan very soon becuz she was not happy to be left out of the EXCO list. What is all this rubbish? Is this true? Can you confirm her position?
Seems your SAs in Perak is very open to such moves n all like to merajuk…starting from PK Foong, then Sivasubramaniam and now rumours of Ms Hee….Ai yoh…dun take us Rakyat to be fools lah.
We are looking at great chances of PR becoming the next Govt in the very near future but here we have merajuk SAs trying to show her popularity…please sir, she won becuz she is on the Opposition ticket not on her own popularity ok?
Pls say something so we Rakyat can have less stress of such a stupid move….Thank you.
#19 by good coolie on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 5:30 pm
Many thanks for your belated admission, beggar minister. So that is what the coolie fellows of MIC were doing behind the rubber trees! Lim Keng Yaik thought they were fornicating, not tapping. All of us were wrong – they were begging! Nothing wrong for a Malaysian from a Malaysian valiantly to beg, but bloody fools, use a very large bowl will you?
#20 by kanasai on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 8:19 pm
Maybe it’s time for Gerakan to seriously consider to merge with DAP for political relevance. Mr Lee Kah Choon has made the wise decision by diverting to DAP??
#21 by Jong on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 11:02 pm
Oh no! When we came out to support and voted in DAP/Pakatan Rakyat, we did not expect to them to be the convenient receptacle for MCA, Gerakan and MIC trash did we? If we had wanted them we would have voted BN didn’t we? If this trend is allowed to continue, soon PR will be no different from BN eh?
#22 by tunglang on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 11:06 pm
Mr Keng Yaik now ‘realised’ that he and his BN component fellas have been beggars?
What open his eyes now to see the realities which the Rakyat have been enduring this sorry state of affairs for the past 50 years of UMNO hegemony?
This is totally a whimper’s excuse to complain too late after 22 years of begging. Before no BN component beggar would dare to complain this shits!
Mr Keng Yaik and the likes of him beggars, I believe are not beggars in the true sense, if it were, why got their sons to be beggars as well? Who in their right mind would want to be beggars if he knows it is a hopeless situation to beg and worse to be treated as 2nd class for life.
What about being a ‘berbuat’ beggar with all the ‘kangtau’ to ensure a good life post beggar politics? A real life beggar on the street can only dream of this.
You think the Rakyat will appreciate this beggar story which you, Mr.Keng Yaik has to endure for 22 years for the Rakyat? The Rakyat are no fools not to see beyond this hopeless ‘act’ of voluntary begging on behalf of the Rakyat, who in the end will benefit nothing except the BN berbuat beggars themselves who will be better off than the Rakyat!
We Rakyat don’t need to BEG! BN HAS TO BEG TO STAY RELEVANT!
#23 by Jong on Tuesday, 13 May 2008 - 11:09 pm
I like to make myself clear – Former Gerakan deputy Sec-Gen Lee Kah Choon who came in on DAP’s invitation is of course an exception.
#24 by kkchong on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 - 12:10 am
This orong tua ah Pek Lim Kheng Yaik, now is brave to said BN HAVE no equal right to other race, during his time as ministers, he said nothing, too late for now to said after GERAKAN hapus in Penang, As a reader you must brave to openly talk,and not to talk after you retired, people won’t listen anymore
#25 by pjboy on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 - 9:36 pm
Ah Pek just want to redeem himself. Try to be a hero now. Afraid that we all forget him. Still want his photo in MSM. He should spend his time & millions (or billions?) learning how to speak properly (in all languages) in the university that he holds as Chancellor. I certainly won’t send my kids there! May come back & talk like him…scary.
We all know who are the true heroes of democracy – DAP. Whatever Ah Pek says now don’t matter. We all know who are the super rich beggars in BN.
#26 by lopez on Wednesday, 14 May 2008 - 10:30 pm
Anotehr disgrace to the surname Lim,and i dont care, blxxdy idiot you can call me , stupid too if you wish, but i was already in pension years and enjoying myslef that 22 years and now even better and off course more relief.
Of course i stash doe for more years , you think the world is free wake up lah.
er have i seen you before…..
come lah to my place in next new year lets karoake..
#27 by cheng on soo on Thursday, 15 May 2008 - 9:39 am
Eh? This beggar bisnes, very good lah, can get RM millions cepat cepat, where in the world got so good beggar bisnes?
#28 by pjboy on Thursday, 15 May 2008 - 11:23 am
Ha ha ha. Now we can be proud that Malaysia got Richest Beggar & Richest Unemployed. Probably in the world. Someone should call Guiness Book of Records.
Oh ya, we also got Six Million Dollar Man.
So, who can be Darth Vader & Yoda? We all know who can be Chewbacca…that BN-MP from Sabah, only a bit short.
Cool, we got an entire Star Wars saga characters in our parliament…someone call George Lucas.
I say YAB LKS = Obi Wan. Tony Pua = Luke Skywalker.
Hope to bring some comic relief…this political blog manyak tension.
#29 by andylim on Thursday, 15 May 2008 - 8:14 pm
i still remember 12 years ago my gradution for diploma course at syuen hotel ipoh..the yb shake my hand and everyone told me he strong and giant minister…today,i just know he only begger..that mean all people under him also begger..
#30 by pjboy on Thursday, 15 May 2008 - 11:25 pm
One fine day, after over 2 decades, Dr.LKY woke up & start to talk a bit of sense…or is it that he just realised after 2 decades what was really going on…when the rakyat knew about it all the time??? Wow, this means he beats PM AAB record for being the slumber king.