KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Dec 2008: MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today defended his statement over Malay supremacy and said certain parties were deliberately twisting the issue.
He said certain parties had intentionally exploited his speech by focusing on the term Malay supremacy without reading the whole text to the extent of causing anger among the Malays.
“My advice to those who claim my speech was challenging the Malay Rulers’ sovereignty or dismiss the Malay/Bumiputera’s privileged position as enshrined in the Federal Constitution is read my full speech and not only on the Malay supremacy concept,” he told reporters here.
He came forward to give the explanation after many parties were angry over his statement which questioned Malay supremacy.
Yesterday, the Federation of Young Malay Graduates served a notice of demand on Chua to retract his statement alleging that it was slanderous and seditious to hate the Malays.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had also urged Barisan Nasional (BN) component leaders to stop issuing statements which could cause polemic in public but raise the matter through channels within the coalition.
Chua said it was not his intention to be a hero or had any interest.
“I used the term Malay supremacy in the context of sharing in BN which was exploited by certain parties so that they can fish people’s support and it had no connection and challenged the true Malay supremacy concept.
“We accept the leadership of Malay leaders but in BN there are certain quarters who are exploiting Malay supremacy by saying other parties are slaves and power sharing is not something fair and just, and those were what I meant,” he said. — Bernama
