MCA slams ex-judge over racist remarks, urges action

The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) today strongly urged for an action to be taken against former Court of Appeal Judge Dato’ Mohd Noor Abdullah for his series of ‘racial’ remarks.

Its Publicity Bureau chairman Datuk Heng Seai Kie said Mohd Noor has stirred racial sensitivities for his remarks include portraying as if the Chinese are ‘ungrateful’ to the Malays for ‘not using much of the national language’.

“I strongly urge that action be taken against his extremist stand and irresponsible action,” she said in the statement.

Heng told that MCA and the Chinese community have always accepted Bahasa Malaysia as the nation’s official language and we have never questioned its official status.

She said in fact, the Chinese community has studied Malay as a compulsory subject in primary and secondary school as well as in university.

“The fact that we are able to converse fluently in Malay is solid proof that we have not ignored our national language,” said Heng.

She also said that the right for vernacular schools is enshrined in the Federal Constitution and each race should not be denied their constitutional right to learn their mother tongue.

Backing her stand, she said Chinese primary schools nowadays are becoming popular among non-Chinese students, with increasing enrolments every year.

“Thus, vernacular schools cannot be accused of promoting racism or creating segregation,” she added.

When contacted by Astro Awani to clarify which specific statement by Mohd Noor was MCA referring to, Heng said it was referring to all the racial statements he made recently.

She said every leader should be more responsible and wiser about what issues to say, stressing that harmony in Malaysia is very important as everyone has been trying so hard to maintain harmony and unity among the people.

“Nobody should say or do anything to damage the harmony (that we have) because it is something that we treasure most. Unity of the rakyat is the core for development of the country,” said Heng, pointing that Malaysia should be a role model to other countries.

She also didn’t expect such statement to come from someone from of his knowledge, background and social status as a former judge in the Court of Appeals.

Heng said Mohd Noor should know better than to make extremist statements which are potentially ‘harmful to racial harmony’.