Tan Sri’s “Prioritise China” Open Letter Sees TRP Mentioned In Parliament – Here’s The Whole Story
Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew’s initial open letter bore the phrase ‘China First, Party Second’ but due to a ‘translation error’ was later amended to ‘Tionghua First, Party Second’.
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The Rakyat Post was mentioned in Parliament today (16 October 2024). But why? We give you delicious food stories and funny cat videos.
That’s not all we have, of course.
On 11 October, an open letter was e-mailed to the press by the public relations office of Country Homes Berhad, written by their founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew.
The title of the open letter was: Continuing the Teachings of Sun Yat-sen, Shaping the Future of Global Chinese—A Reflective Open Letter to Global Chinese on Double Tenth Day
In the letter, it was mentioned that Chinese political parties globally, including those in Malaysia, should prioritise the interest of China.
Yes, that was what we read in the open letter. The following is a screenshot of the letter sent to the press on 10 October 2024 at 4.56pm.
So we proceeded to process the open letter as an article, giving it the following headline: Johor-Born Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew Tells Malaysian Chinese Political Parties China’s Interests Should Come First.
Before we processed the open letter, we even e-mailed Country Homes’ public relations department to ask if the open letter was legit. It sounded weird to us so we figured maybe they got hacked or something. We didn’t receive a reply.
We then proceeded to carry the open letter.
Several hours after the article was published, we received an e-mail from the public relations department telling us they made an error in the translation.
Apparently, the letter was originally written in Chinese (we did not know this because ONLY the English version was sent in the first e-mail).
In the second e-mail, we were informed that the department made a mistake in their translation of a specific word. It was supposed to mean “the Chinese community” and not China the country.
“We would like to kindly bring to your attention an important clarification regarding the press release titled ‘Open Letter from Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew: Shaping a United Future for Global Chinese’ sent on 10 October 2024 at 16:55. The term “中华” in Tan Sri Lee’s article was intended to reflect “TiongHua” which represents the cultural beliefs of the Chinese community worldwide, rather than “China’s nation. To ensure the correct interpretation, we have attached the updated translation along with the original Chinese version for your reference. You may also view Tan Sri Lee’s official Facebook post from yesterday for additional context via this link.” – Country Homes Holdings Berhad via e-mail.
In short, the Tan Sri wanted to say that Chinese political parties should prioritise the interests of the Chinese people everywhere and not China the country.
Realising the meaning of the entire letter is now different considering the error in translation, we immediately removed the article from our website.
However, in light of the mention in the Dewan Rakyat, we have decided to put it back up to address any confusions that may arise amongst members of Parliament.
Below is the original article as we published it, with the amended version in red.
Johor-Born Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew Tells Malaysian Chinese Political Parties China’s Interests Should Come First
A rather curious open letter landed in our inbox this morning.
It was penned by Tan Sri Lee Kin Yew, founder of real estate company Country Heights Holdings Berhad, and sent to press organisations by the company’s public relations office.
In the letter addressed to the “global Chinese community”, Lee, who was declared bankrupt last year by the Shah Alam High Court (he denied this though, claiming he was still ‘solidly solvent’), called on Malaysian Chinese political parties to put the interests of China and the global Chinese community the Tiong Hua Chinese community above all else.
In case this sounds like we’re making it up, here’s what Lee said, verbatim:
“Whether it be China’s Communist Party, Kuomintang, Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party, or Malaysia’s Chinese political parties such as the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Democratic Action Party, all global Chinese political parties must recognize that the interests of China take precedence above all. The future of the Chinese nation and the welfare of global Chinese must become the highest priority of every political party.”
“Whether it is the Chinese Communist Party, the Kuomintang (KMT), Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or Malaysian Chinese parties such as the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP), all Chinese political parties worldwide must realize that the interests of Tiong Hua (Chinese community) come above all. The future of the Chinese communities and the welfare of global Chinese must become the highest priority of every political
party.”
Lee said he wrote the letter in conjunction with the Double Tenth Day. What is that?
According to Lee, the Double Tenth Day is a momentous occasion for the Chinese people, as it commemorates the success of the Xinhai Revolution and symbolizes “our continued commitment to the great ideals of Dr Sun Yat-sen”.
“Today, as we stand at a historical crossroads, global Chinese must unite in writing the next chapter of China’s future the Chinese community’s future,” the Batu Pahat born man said.
In case your geography is bad, Batu Pahat is in Johor, MALAYSIA. (This line no longer applies as he is no longer talking about China.)
Moving on, Lee said it was imperative to revisit the teachings and philosophies of Dr Sun Yat-sen, which were vital not only to China’s future but also to the well-being of Chinese communities worldwide. (no amendments here).
The letter emphasizes the importance of national unity, urging parties such as MALAYSIA’S MCA and DAP to prioritize the welfare of China and the global Chinese population collective interests of the Chinese community over internal political objectives.
Lee argued that Dr Sun Yat-sen’s teachings remain deeply relevant today and must guide political discourse among Chinese communities, both in Malaysia and worldwide.
Lee stressed that political parties—whether in China, Taiwan, or Malaysia—must elevate the interests of the Chinese nation above all else.
He called for an alignment of political goals with the broader welfare of the Chinese nation, warning that prioritizing party objectives over the collective good leads to division and weakness.
Again, we give you verbatim in case you still don’t believe us:
“We must be clear: political party interests should be secondary to the collective interests of the Chinese nation. When parties pursue their own objectives at the expense of the nation’s overall welfare, it often leads to disastrous consequences. Therefore, whether it is the Communist Party, Kuomintang, Democratic Progressive Party, or other Chinese political parties, they must adhere to the principle of ‘China First, Party Second’. Politics should not be a mere tool for power struggles but a means to seek a better future for the Chinese nation and global Chinese communities.”
“When political parties pursue their own interests at the expense of the overall
well-being of the nation and its people, it often leads to disastrous consequences. Therefore, whether it is the Communist Party, the KMT, the DPP, or other Chinese political parties, they should all adopt the principle of “TiongHua first, party second” as their guiding action. Politics should not be a mere tool for power struggles but a means to seek a better future for the global Chinese communities.”
While we are not sure why Malaysian Chinese political parties should adhere to “China First, Party Second”, what is clear in the letter is Lee’s apparent adoration for Dr Sun Yat-Sen.
He urged all Chinese political parties to return to the founding principles of Dr Sun Yat-sen, who championed democracy, freedom, and the well-being of the people.
He reminded the global Chinese community that Dr Sun Yat-sen’s vision of democracy, as encapsulated in his Three Principles of the People, transcends Western ideals, focusing instead on a governance model that serves the unique needs of the Chinese people.
“Dr Sun Yat-sen’s ideology is not only a treasure for China but a shared asset for global Chinese Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s philosophy is not only a treasure of Chinese wisdom but also a shared asset of all Chinese people worldwide,” Lee stated, stressing that parties must work to implement policies rooted in Dr Sun Yat-sen’s democratic principles, rather than letting internal power struggles dominate.
Highlighting a famous quote, yes you guessed it, from Dr Sun Yat-sen—”The tide of the world history is vast and mighty, those who follow it will prosper, those who resist it will perish”— Lee emphasized the necessity of cooperation in today’s globalized world.
He urged political leaders to set aside differences and work together to promote the welfare of Chinese people globally, warning that those who cling to party rivalries risk diminishing their influence and effectiveness.
Lee also underscored the dangers of corruption, calling it a destructive force that erodes national integrity and the quality of life.
He urged political parties in Malaysia and elsewhere to take this issue seriously and root out corruption wherever it exists.
Concluding his letter, Lee echoed, yes again, Dr Sun Yat-sen’s famous last words, “The revolution is not yet complete, comrades must continue the effort.”
He framed this as a call to action for global Chinese political parties, including those in Malaysia, to remain vigilant in their pursuit of democracy and justice, ensuring that party interests do not overshadow the common good.
“Only by following the tide of history can global Chinese secure a bright future; those who go against the tide will be left behind,” Lee said.
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