by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 19th May 1991:
Alex Lee is a chameleon who could change from being strong supporter of Malaysian Chinese Cultural City to strong opponent in less than two weeks.
Gerakan Vice President, Datuk Alex Lee, is a classic chameleon who could change from being a strong supporter of the Malaysian Chinese Cultural City project to being a strong opponent in less than two weeks.
Yesterday, Alex Lee, who is Deputy Minister of National Unity and Social Development, said the MCA’s plan of a Malaysian Chinese Cultural City is contrary to the vision of making Malaysia a developed and greatly united country by the year 2,020.
But less than two weeks ago, Alex Lee said the exact opposite when he gave full support for the proposal, and he said:
“Every race should haved a cultural centre. We need to preserve and enrich our culture.”
“With the establishment of this centre, the younger generation would be able to know their roots.
And the other races could visit the centre and understand the Chinese culture.”
What has made Alex Lee do a complete somersault in less than two weeks, totally changing his stand on the Malaysian Chinese Cultural City?
The reason is very simple. He has got a very strong message that UMNO and UMNO Youth leaders are set against the project for their own narrow political and communal reasons.
Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, had got the UMNO message earlier, and this is why his public position was very different from Alex Lee’s initial declaration of support for the Malaysian Chinese Cultural City.
It is a sad day for Malaysian politics when political leaders take a stand on political, economic, educational, cultural and nation-building issues not on the basis of what is right or wrong, but on the basis of the likes and dislikes of UMNO and UMNO Youth leaders!