Kit Siang slams Dr M, says politics not about Malays losing power to Chinese

Lim Kit Siang on the campaign trail in Gelang Patah prior to the general elections on May 5. The Malaysian Insider pic, July 27, 2013.Politics in Malaysia today is not about whether Malays are losing political power, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said today in a hard-hitting reply to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's assertion that the party was pushing the Chinese to grab power.
Instead, the veteran opposition leader posed the question whether  the outcome of the recent polls had managed to fuel Malaysians into taking a stand against politics of race.
"The future of Malaysia will depend on whether we have more and more Malaysians united in pursuit of a common dream, and not for a Malay Dream, Chinese Dream, Kadazan Dream or Iban Dream," Lim said in a statement today.
He also accused the former prime minister of attempting to set the agenda for the upcoming Umno party elections with his dangerous myth on the Chinese dilemma.
Lim said when he contested in Gelang Patah in the recent elections, Dr Mahathir had accused him of trying to create a racial confrontation between the Malays and Chinese in Johor.
"This was a pack of lies. In fact, in the last few months, he has been trying to create a racial confrontation, particularly after the May 5 results, in his campaign to pit one race against another," he added.
He said his political arch-foe was "up to mischief again" with the opinion piece carried by Umno-controlled New Straits Times today.
Lim added that Dr Mahathir should know "better than anyone else" that the political power of the Malays in the country has never been in danger and that there was no attempt by the Chinese or any other community to oust the political power of the Malays.
"What is at stake is whether Umno and Umno-putras can continue with their politics of race, cronyism, corruption, abuses of power and impunity, or whether they have to give way to a new Malaysian politics of multi-racialism, good governance, public integrity, freedom and justice," he said.
The Gelang Patah MP also questioned whether the MCA leadership agreed with Dr Mahathir's "dangerous and desperate racist" abuses.
"If they do not agree, are they prepared to publicly condemn his dangerous and desperate racist lies, that the Chinese are making a grab for political power to oust the political power of the Malays?" he asked.
Lim also challenged if Dr Mahathir really believed his own racist allegations, lies and his "Chinese dilemma" myth.
He added that although Dr Mahathir's reckless racist comments were dismaying, it was clear that the former PM was facing a diminishing market for his attempts to pit the Malays against the Chinese. - July 27, 2013.

Source themalaysianinsider