KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders today slammed the DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng for his “insensitive” and “irresponsible” remark on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, while his own party distanced itself from his comments.
Earlier today, Lim said in a press conference that DAP leaders would be able to find the missing Malaysian airliner if his party was given control of the navy or air force.
But by late afternoon, Lim retracted his remark, expressing “deep regret for having made that comment”.
Umno’s Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan described Lim’s remark as “insensitive” and lacking in “intellectual reasoning”, saying the lawmaker “owes an apology” to the families of the crew and passengers on the missing flight for hurting their feelings.
“He must apologise for being insensitive and for being stupid,” the Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government told The Malay Mail Online when contacted earlier today.
Abdul Rahman stressed the MH370 “is not a laughing matter”, claiming that DAP lawmakers were putting on a “facade” by showing a “sad face” when asking for an inquiry through the setting up of RCI and PSC.
“All they are interested in is to ridicule the government, the Barisan Nasional (BN), the prime minister so they can score one or two political points,” the Umno supreme council member said.
“This MP is a joke. He wants to politicise everything,” he added.
MCA deputy president Datuk Wee Ka Siong said Lim’s remarks indicated his “mentality”, pointing to the DAP lawmaker’s past questions in Parliament, saying “it’s a joke”.
“It’s uncalled for. All this assumption, you assume,” Wee told The Malay Mail Online today.
MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun accused Lim of attempting to “gain political support” with his remark.
“He should be more responsible instead of making statements,” she told The Malay Mail Online when contacted earlier today, saying he should prove PR’s capability to handle the MH370 incident rather than just making claims.
When contacted, DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran initially declined to comment, but suggested that Lim was merely making a “joke”.
When asked if Lim’s comments was the party’s official stand, the Ipoh Barat MP said “Definitely no. No way”, adding that DAP had yet to take a stand on the MH370.
“I think it’s just a joke. He jokes a lot. I’m sure he doesn’t mean it,” he said.
