Guan Eng says he's Malaysian first and proud of his Chinese ethnicity

Lim launching the "Healing Penang Hill" book on Saturday, July 28, 2018.

GEORGE TOWN: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has responded to criticism that he does not admit to being Chinese.

Lim said he was not saying that he is not Chinese.

"I am saying I am Malaysian first, but I am Chinese too … This is really playing the racial game," he said during a press conference after launching a pictorial book on the aftermath of the landslides in November last year (2017) dubbed "Healing Penang Hill" at Penang Hill on Saturday (July 28).

On May 12, when Lim was named Finance Minister, he famously said "I'm Malaysian, I don't see myself as Chinese" when responding to a question about being the first Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity to be made Finance Minister in 44 years.

Lim also addressed further criticism over a statement he issued on Israel which criticising the regime.

"I issued a statement on Israel and criticised the position of the Israeli regime.

"Are we really going to be tied down by racial sentiments to the point of losing our humanity?

"When we see something wrong, even though it did not happen in our country, is it wrong for us to voice out on the basis of humanity?" he said.

It was reported on Sunday (July 22) that DAP severely criticised the Israeli Knesset for passing the "Jewish national law".

Lim, who is DAP secretary-general, said the latest law upheld the concept of Jewish supremacy and suppressed the rights of the minorities especially the Arab race.