THE opposition is using racial politics to the point that it is no longer consistent, said Lim Guan Eng today.

“To Chinese voters, the opposition says I am anti-Chinese. To Malay voters, they say I am anti-Malay. It doesn’t make any sense,” the finance minister told a press conference in Cyberjaya.

“We have to be principled and pro-Malaysian.”

He was asked about cuts to funding for Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC), which is controlled by Barisan Nasional component MCA.

Lim said the opposition is politicising and racialising the government’s decision to withhold funding unless MCA relinquishes control of the varsity.

He said he makes decisions that are fair to all Malaysians, and denied being anti-Malay, as claimed by Malay opposition parties, or anti-Chinese, in the case of TAR UC.

For the upcoming Tanjung Piai by-election, MCA’s campaign targeting Chinese voters is playing up the TAR UC issue.

Under Budget 2020, tabled by the Pakatan Harapan government last month, there is an 81% cut in public funding for the institution.

Lim, who had said RM60 million in funding for this year and next would be made available should MCA give up control over TAR UC, today reiterated that institutions of higher education should be free from politics.

“In principle, we should not allow political patronage or control of an education institution.”

He said funds will be allocated to TAR UC after MCA relinquishes its stake in the varsity, or when the party accepts that public money cannot be used to support it. – November 13, 2019.