Guan Eng stresses DAP not taking non-Malay voters for granted

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng stressed that his party has never taken non-Malay voters for granted.

This comes amid pressure the party is facing from the non-Malay community over the government's move to introduce khat lessons in the Year 4 Bahasa Malaysia textbook.

In an interview with Oriental Daily, Lim said it was unfair to accuse the DAP of betraying the Chinese community.

"The DAP has never believed that the Chinese and non-Malay votes are fixed deposit.

"We must work to gain their support based on our performance and that is why we must redouble our efforts," he was quoted as saying.

He said generally, the Pakatan Harapan government has given better treatment compared to BN when it came to vernacular education.

Elaborating on the khat issue, Lim said its formulation was started by the previous BN government.

He said Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching, who is also DAP's Kulai MP, had acted based on information derived during the previous government.

He said ministry officials claimed that they have consulted stakeholders over the planned introduction.

"However, after the situation escalated, we inquired and found out that the previous government did not consult the Chinese community.

"Their so-called stakeholders were not representative of the Chinese community," he was quoted as saying.

As such, Lim said all policies that were initiated by the previous government must now be reviewed by the Pakatan Harapan government before proceeding.

Teo, in particular, has been subjected to social media abuse from DAP grassroots over the khat issue, with some demanding for her resignation.

The DAP has also been accused of being subservient like MCA, which was part of the previous BN government.

Acknowledging the heat DAP ministers and deputy ministers have received, Lim said they will act in the interest of the country.

"As a minister, we must do our best and pay a high price, what is important is that the country does not suffer,' he said.

On Thursday, Education Minister Maszlee Malik announced the initial plan to introduce six pages of khat lessons in the Year 4 Bahasa Malaysia textbook will be slashed to three pages and that they would be optional.

This was after the strong resistance from the non-Malay community over concerns of Islamisation in vernacular schools, which Maszlee has denied.