KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — The verbal jostling between MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Selangor Umno chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar over the Sri Pristana makeshift canteen fiasco is merely a “stage drama” since both are still allies in Barisan Nasional (BN), the DAP said today.

Yesterday, Dr Chua called Noh “crazy” for calling on the authorities to arrest the parent, who spread pictures on the Internet of the school’s non-Muslim pupils eating in a dressing room, under the Sedition Act.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture), however, claimed the MCA president’s criticism lacked “conviction” as his party and Umno are still working together.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said to prove their sincerity, the MCA, Gerakan and MIC should quit BN’s Selangor chapter in protest against Noh’s strong statement.

“As long as MCA, Gerakan and MIC still work together with Umno in Selangor BN under Noh Omar as chairman, criticisms against Noh Omar for being crazy will be seen as another stage drama or wayang kulit (shadow puppet) that will be quickly forgotten in a week,” Lim said in a statement.

The DAP leader added that the argument between the two only highlights the fact that BN component parties have nothing in common since they are mono-ethnic racist parties.

“However mono-ethnic racist political parties that exclude other races can still work together in BN because they adopt a common objective of condoning corruption, abuse of power and crony capitalism,” said Lim.

Lim then said, on the same ground, the MCA’s refusal to accept the apology of a principal of a secondary school in Shah Alam for telling his minority students to “balik” (go back) to China and India should also be met with scepticism.

“Making such a suggestion when everyone knows you do not mean it is akin to making no suggestion at all,” he said.

In the first incident, a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly posted on social network Facebook photographs that appeared to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the toilet even as the school canteen went unoccupied.

The issue triggered public uproar although the school denied any ill-intentions. In the school’s defence, some quarters claim the parent had intentionally blown the issue out of proportion with racist motives.

In the second incident, MCA leader Datuk Wee Ka Siong accused the Alam Megah secondary school principal of insincerity when she apologised for her remark. According to her, the statement was intended for all the students since she also told the Malays to “balik Indonesia”.

But leaders from both sides of the political divide said they are least convinced with her explanation.

Lim noted that there have been numerous similar incidents in the past which he blamed on the government’s failure to act.

Both incidents have added to worsening racial tension post Election 2013 blamed on Umno’s continued race-baiting in what critics saw as an attempt to conceal its growing weaknesses and consolidate its Malay power base.