The new MCA President, Datuk Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make two abject apologies to all Malaysians at the MCA General Assembly tomorrow – firstly, for aiding and abetting former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy and secondly, for the extremist and dangerous MCA politics of lies and hate as exhibited in today’s MCA Youth Assembly.

When I was at the City University in Hong Kong last week, a Malaysian told me that for several years before May 9 this year, he was ashamed to identify himself as a Malaysian because of the international 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal which caused Malaysia to be regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.

This was not an isolated case, as the shame and infamy of the 1MDB scandal caused many Malaysians before the 14th General Election to avoid disclosing that they are Malaysians when they were overseas, telling white lies that they were from Singapore, Indonesia or Thailand.

Now Malaysians have been liberated from such shame and infamy as a result of the historic decision on May 9, 2018, when Malaysians regardless of race or religion united to carry out a peaceful and democratic transition of power, and gave hope not only to Malaysians but the world about democracy as a form of government to bring about change for the better and progress. This is because in the past decade, democracy as a form of government suffered a confidence crisis in the whole world.

What we need to do now is to perform a second world feat – to transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity in the international community of nations.

We must never forget about Malaysia’s shame and infamy when we were regarded by the world as a global kleptocracy, and we must never forget the monstrous corruption and crime of the 1MDB scandal.

Equally important, we must never forget Najib and Jho Low, the masterminds of the 1MDB scandal, and all the political parties in Barisan Nasional, especially UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, their leaders, Ministers, Members of Parliament, Chief Ministers, State Ministers or Executive Councillors and State Assembly representatives for aiding and abetting Najib in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy in the past few years.

This is the first matter Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make an abject apology to all Malaysians at MCA General Assembly tomorrow, for the MCA had failed Malaysia and Malaysians in aiding and abetting Najib in making Malaysia a global kleptocracy. Even more shocking, Wee Ka Siong was a Minister in Najib’s Cabinet!

The second matter which Wee Ka Siong should lead the entire MCA leadership to make an abject apology is for the extremist and dangerous MCA politics of lies and hate as exhibited in today’s MCA Youth Assembly.

Prominently displayed on the stage screen of the MCA Youth Assembly this morning was the picture of DAP Secretary-General and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, with the words “I am not a Chinese”.

How low can MCA go in its attempt to regain political support? MCA leaders are being utterly irresponsible in inciting hatred among the people against DAP leaders.

UMNO and PAS leaders incite Malays with the lies and falsehoods that DAP is anti-Malay and anti-Islam, and the MCA is joining UMNO and PAS in this reckless, irresponsible and dangerous game of spreading lies and falsehoods that DAP is anti-Chinese.

DAP is never anti-Chinese, anti-Malay, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan or anti-Dayak. What distinguishes us from MCA is that we are pro-Malaysia.

DAP leaders never deny our ethnicity, but whether we are Chinese, Malays, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans, we are even more important Malaysians, which give qualifies us to champion the rights and welfare of all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion.

As far as I know, Lim Guan Eng is the only political leader who have crossed ethnic lines to sacrifice his political future and position as Member of Parliament, and even went to jail, in the defence of honour and dignity of an underaged Malay girl, when he was a MP for Kota Melaka in the nineties.

Had any UMNO political leader ever make such sacrifices for another Malay or had any MCA leader done that for another Chinese, let alone a Malaysian of another race?

MCA claims to champion the Chinese – but why have they been rejected so soundly and decisively in the 14th General Election by the Chinese themselves, reduced from a 7/11 party into a mosquito party which could only win one seat in Parliament, – and thanks to Malay voters and not Chinese voters?

MCA claims to champion the Chinese and UMNO claims to champion the bumiputeras – but all they champion are the cronies of MCA and UMNO leaders especially the UMNOputras!

Since our formation 53 years ago, DAP had been consistent as a political party for all Malaysians, and not for any one race.

Malaysians are made up of different ethnicities but we must be united as one Malaysian people to create a New Malaysia which is united, democratic, clean, just, progressive and prosperous.

(Speech by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang at opening of the DAP Activities Centre in Ayer Keroh, Malacca on Saturday, 1st Dec 2018 at 1 pm)