2 theSun | FRIDAY DECEMBER 26 2008

Campaigns should not touch on racial

sensitivities, says Shafie
KUALA TERENGGANU: Parties
contesting the Jan 17 parliamentary
by-election here are reminded not
to resort to negative campaigns,
especially those which touch on
racial sensitivities.
Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage
Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie
Apdal said it was not wrong for
them to campaign and explain their
respective party policies and strug-
gles, so long as it did not create
a situation which could stir racial
problems.
“We hope parties contesting the
by-election will not hurl slanderous
remarks, make false accusations
and distribute leaflets which can
jeopardise racial unity,” he told re-
porters after opening the state-level
“Malam Gema Semarak Padu” here
on Wednesday night.
He said that everybody should
learn from past experiences on the
need for racial unity in the country.
“... we have gone through many
elections, I advise all parties involved
to together safeguard security and
maintain unity,” he added.
The Kuala Terengganu by-elec-
tion is held following the death of its
MP Datuk Razali Ismail on Nov 28.
In another development, Shafie
said 250 community liaison offic-
ers who had been appointed by
the ministry to handle conflicts in
villages and housing estates, would
also be tasked with monitoring
issues which touched on racial
sensitivities.
He said the officers were trained
to handle cases involving racial con-
flicts, and counsel those involved.
They will be assisted by members of
the Village Development and Secu-
rity Committee, the Rukun Tetangga
and relevant bodies.
The officers will also screen for
inaccurate information, especially
through blog sites, and explain is-
sues to the people, he added.
– Bernama

Tee Keat ...

he keeps
harping
Ong: It’s DAP that needs
on it
Kit Siang ...
criticised
MCA’s stand
on PKFZ
to boycott by-election
by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA:
MCA president
Datuk Seri Ong Tee
Keat says it is the
DAP that should
boycott the coming
Kuala Terengganu
by-election following
PAS’s unrelenting stand to
impose Hudud laws.
Ong posted this in
his blog in response
to DAP veteran Lim
Kit Siang’s call to the
MCA not to campaign
in Kuala Terengganu’s
by-election on Jan
17 over Ong’s alleged
lack of stand in the Port
Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)
controversy.
“I think this is Lim’s
latest attempt to distract
the public from one of the
worst conflicts affecting
PR following PAS vice-
president Datuk Husam
Musa’s Hudud statement. If
DAP feels so strongly about
Husam’s remarks, it should
as a matter of principle,
not campaign for the PAS
candidate in the by-election.
“By choosing to
campaign for PAS would
only mean the DAP
supports public whipping,
amputation and stoning for
criminal offences under
the Hudud laws. Mere
words objecting to Husam’s
statement would not suffice
if not demonstrated by
action.”
Ong said: “When
Lim asked the MCA to
boycott the by-election
campaigning, it merely
shows that the DAP is
terrified that the MCA will
be able to win over the
almost 9,000 Chinese voters
in the constituency.
“The Chinese, who make
up about 11% of the voters
there, are said to be the
key to Barisan Nasional’s
victory. I give my assurance
that the MCA will not only
work hard to win over the
Chinese voters there but
will work with its coalition
partners to woo voters of all
races there.”
Ong also said for Lim to
issue two media statements
on PKFZ since Sunday and
regurgitating on the same
old issues showed that the
DAP had run out of issues
for the by-election.
“While Lim is free to
comment, I would like him
to be objective as whatever
negative perception he is
portraying to the public
will affect the confidence of
the existing and potential
investors.
“Instead, he should be
reminded that Selangor
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid
Ibrahim had acknowledged
that the PKFZ is a viable
project,” he said.
Ong said he had also
answered Lim’s queries
on PKFZ as early as
last May in Parliament.
“PriceWaterhouseCoopers
is finalising its audit on the
corporate governance of
PKFZ, among others. I have
said that there will be no
interference on my part or
the government and I stand
by my words.
“It is unnecessary to
jump the gun before the
audit report is released. I
have said this many times
before but somehow it did
not register with Lim who
keeps harping on the same
issues.”

IWG praises Loot’s integrity display

PETALING JAYA: The MCA
Integrity Watch Group (IWG),
has described Chinese educa-
tionist Loot Ting Yee’s public
apology and resignation from
Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) and Lim
Lean Geok Foundation as “a
heartening display of personal
integrity”.
The octogenarian’s with-
drawal from the two Chinese
non-governmental organisa-
tions followed allegations of
sexual harassment against
him by a reporter from a
Chinese daily in her personal
blog (the post has since been
removed).
The IWG, which refrains
from issuing statements
individually, said in a state-
ment Loot’s resignation may
not right the alleged personal
wrong, it nevertheless saved
both DJZ and the education
foundation the ignomity of
having to defend a disgraced
leader.
“It is not easy to separate
personal morality from profes-
sional obligations in the ‘public
sphere’, as Cikgu Loot has
demonstrated.
“We in IWG can only hope
that our party leaders can dem-
onstrate similar awareness of
individual moral responsibility
and do the rightful thing for
the sake of the party. Many
of us have not forgiven the
shame the sex DVD scandal
has brought to the party.
“Party leaders who insist
on remaining in the party and
continue their political sojourn
despite personal scandals
clearly do not have the inter-
est of the party in mind but are
shameless, greedy political
creatures.
The IWG was formed by a
group of MCA members who
are professionals and who do
not hold any party position.

Indian newspaper vendors welcome

offer to settle dispute
KUALA LUMPUR: The
Federal Territory and Selangor
Indian Newspaper Vendors
Association has welcomed
an offer by Bernama editorial
adviser Datuk Azman Ujang to
mediate in resolving its six-
year-old leadership dispute.
V. Arumugam, who heads
one faction in the association,
said if the dispute, which had
been taken to court, was set-
tled amicably with Azman as
the mediator, it will bring great
benefit to all the vendors.
Azman offered to mediate
in the larger interest of the
association and stressed the
importance of the association
acting with one voice when he
spoke at its 44th annual dinner
last Sunday.
“We welcome his (Azman’s)
statement. It is a good
suggestion and we strongly
believe and are confident that
he will be able to help resolve
our protracted dispute,”
Arumugam said yesterday.
– Bernama