KUCHING: Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s statement that “the police’s handling of the (Dong Zong) congress’ cancellation was inappropriate” has come too little, too late.
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing questioned whether the statement was meant to help DAP save face after failing the Chinese community and also to regain some hope of winning the Sarawak polls.
Tiong viewed this as “completely cynical and opportunistic” and “Chong’s reaction is both strange and ironic. The police are a division of the government whose duty is to carry out Pakatan Harapan’s policies.”
“Or has the police shifted to a higher authority above the federal government that they could apply for a court order without a say by the Cabinet?” Tiong questioned.
The Bintulu MP added that Chong seemed to have forgotten how Pakatan Harapan (PH) and DAP used to attack Barisan Nasional (BN) for denying freedom of speech and rights of assembly.
“But the previous government (BN) would not recklessly ban such assemblies or denounce a congress if it held a contradicting viewpoint.
“For more than 60 years of administering the country, the previous government had never forced shut an event by court order,” he said.
Tiong accused DAP of playing on people’s emotions to incite hatred and cause destruction of public property, as “DAP and the police have proven they felt unable to maintain public order, even with an event to be held indoors”.
“I actually held some hope that PH came together as a political coalition to form a two-party system and provide for two-way communication with the rest of us. There was a mechanism for mutual check and balance as a way to be each other’s counterbalance.
“However, with everything that happened after the change in government, it has become painfully clear that there won’t be any two-way consultation. Only double standards, as exemplified by the cancellation of this congress two months after a similar Malay Dignity Congress was held,” Tiong said.
Tiong also stated that DAP was weak and their words would carry less and less weight from here on.
“The police’s suppression of the Chinese congress was committed under DAP’s watch or was DAP left entirely out of the equation?
“Either way, they clearly had very little to say and control in this matter. In which case, why continue to support them?”
Tiong also added DAP was touted as one of the ruling parties in PH “and sadly, they still carry on as if they are the Opposition ― unable to influence Cabinet meetings and forced to publicly air their grievances at the police”.
“Do they still deserve the public’s trust?” Tiong stated.
Tiong said as a high-ranking party member and Sarawak DAP chief, it was extremely unlikely Chong had not received the relevant information regarding the police’s reaction to the congress.
“His latest statement only serves to help his party save face,” he said.
In addition, Tiong also said it was more likely that Chong had decided to make a stand on his own accord.
“In this case, it would be meaningless for him to stay with DAP because his opinions would ring hollow because his views are not being heard by his own party. It would then be in his best interest to quit DAP and join us against them,” he said.
