PM's statements on China 'insensitive', says MCA

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA has urged the Prime Minister to be mindful in his choices of words when making statements relating to China as it may hurt the feelings of the super power.  

Its central committee member Datuk Chew Kok Woh said some remarks made by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad were insensitive and not thoughtful.  

He cited the remarks made by Dr Mahathir ordering the surrounding walls of the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park to come down.

Chew lambasted a news portal for its negative report on the park, which it described as the “Great Wall of China".  

“Those who know Chinese developers can tell you that it’s a practice to have its workers live and work within their construction sites because they practically work around-the-clock to ensure efficiency,” he said in a statement.  

Chew also said some of the statements made by Dr Mahathir ahead and after his recent China visit were “unwise and undiplomatic,” pointing out the Prime Minister’s "new colonialism" warning.  

“The impact will be great if China loses its patience and choose to retaliate quietly, which some countries like South Korea and Palau, a Pacific island, have found out when Chinese tourists stayed away,” he said.  

He added that Malaysia should have taken advantage of the current China-US trade war instead of “making China lose face".

Chew said China had stopped buying soy beans from US farmers and this was the best time for Malaysia to increase its palm oil export to China.  

He also questioned the timing of Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah’s RM500,000 donation, on behalf of Malaysia, to Japan on the eve of Dr Mahathir’s visit to China.  

“This was on the day, Aug 15, that China annually mark the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two.  

“The Chinese-speaking world is talking about it and the insensitiveness of Malaysian leaders.”  

Chew said Wisma Putra would surely know of the bitter rivalry between China and Japan.

“Thanks to Dr Mahathir, we are now seen as pro-Japan and at a time when everyone wants a share of the huge China market,” he said.  

Chew said Dr Mahathir was “whacking China everyday” and that it was time that “he tone down his rhetoric".  

He also asked what was DAP leader Tan Kok Wai, who is special envoy to China, doing.  

“The new government sacked politically appointed ambassadors but is now starting to replace them with their own political cronies.  

“That’s hypocrisy for you but the MCA wants the new government to be tactful in handling China because we can never win.

“Don’t let the anger against the Najib administration blur the rationality and in the end affect our country.  

He questioned why the DAP leaders were “silent” and “not giving sound advice to Dr Mahathir".  

“This is not a poker game for the PM because the stakes are high and Malaysia cannot afford it.  

“Dr Mahathir is wise and revered but it doesn’t mean he’s right in everything,” Chew added.