Monday, February 3, 2014

Potential Kajang contender under fire over ‘racist’ CNY message

A partial screen capture shows Yuktes's message to the Chinese community that was posted on his Facebook page.
A partial screen capture shows Yuktes’s message to the Chinese community that was posted on his Facebook page.

 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — A sinister message aimed at Chinese supporters of the DAP posted by Yuktes Vijay, a former aide to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyers during the Sodomy II trial, has invited a landslide of criticism for the self-proclaimed independent  candidate for the Kajang by-election.

In a message posted in halting Bahasa Malaysia on his Facebook page this week, Yuktes appeared to tell supporters of the opposition party to engage in life-threatening behaviour during the Lunar New Year now.

“Kepada semua cina dap dan yang cina lain yang sehaluan dengan mereka, sila minum banyak dan pandu kereta ke genting… kalau sempat sampai tolong judi macam ianya hari kiamat dunia…. kalau sempat bangun esok, dah ditakdirkan… tak mampu kita ubah… terpaksa lawan perangai rasis ini untuk satu tahun lagi.”

[“To all DAP Chinese and other Chinese of their persuasion... please drink heavily and drive up to Genting (Highlands)...  If you make it there, please gamble as though it is the end of the world... If you get to rise tomorrow, it is fated... we can’t change that and will have to fight racist behaviour for another year.”]

But he was more generous with the “5 per cent” of Chinese that are “good and grateful”, who received festive wishes instead.

“To my family that is the 5 per cent, you know I love you all,” Yuktes ventured in the same post.

The message has since drawn a stream of critical responses condemning the legal practitioner for his “racism”.

“It takes AMPLE arrogance to lead you to think you can verbally abuse a race of people over their political views on their new years over social media. It is their right, and you don’t attack the people for exercising their rights to support whichever party they so please. We are DONE with arrogant politicians. Kenang budi? Goodness how vexing!” a user by the name of Mandeep Gill posted in reply.

Another by the name of Usha Narayanansamy said: “Chinese New Year is all about festive season and you decided to change this into racist topic?? Stupid lawyer!!!”

Others were more liberal with their use of invectives, and while most were disapproving of the nature of his message, some took on an ironically racial tone when criticising Yuktes for his racism.

Yuktes yesterday sought to deny the allegations of racism in a subsequent message, in which he said he hated 95 per cent of the Chinese because of their support for the DAP and not their ethnicity.

He earlier announced intentions to contest in the Kajang by-election that was triggered by the resignation of PKR’s Lee Chin Cheh.

editor@themalaymailonline.com

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