MCA leaders have condemned Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for offering to sponsor a wheelchair or crutches to MCA president Liow Tiong Lai.

At a DAP dinner in Seremban yesterday, Lim said the many announcements for the Chinese community in Budget 2018 would come to nothing as MCA lacked follow-up in seeing them through the last mile, particularly on the recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

As such, Lim was quoted by Shin Chew Daily as saying that had he met Liow in the corridor of Parliament after the budget sitting on Friday, he would have offered to sponsor him a wheelchair or crutches to help him through the last mile.

MCA publicity bureau chairperson Chai Kim Sen described Lim's offer as "uncouth behaviour".

"Arrogance having gone to his head, Lim has completely lost statesmanship befitting a character of a politician. His departure from traditional Chinese values is intolerable," he said in a statement today.

Chai (photo) urged Lim to apologise for his comment and for DAP to admonish him.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth secretary-general Leong Kim Soon claimed Lim had indirectly insulted people with disabilities with his comment.

"Not only is this gutter politics by the Penang chief minister, but it is simply despicable," he said in a statement.

Leong said MCA is committed to developing Chinese education and will not be deterred by DAP's "slander".

Najib, in his budget speech, announced an RM50 million allocation for Chinese primary schools, RM50 million for Kojadi loans, RM65 million for the development of Chinese new villages and RM10 million to repairs of houses.

Prior to the budget, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid also announced that 10 new Chinese primary schools would be built.

Meanwhile, Perak DAP publicity bureau chief Chong Zhemin said the MCA was "barking up the wrong tree" in its condemnation of Lim.

Chong said Lim's wheelchair remark was not literal.

"It simply means that the journey towards recognition of UEC has been stalling since MCA made the 'last mile' promise," he said in a statement.

Instead, Chong said, MCA should focus on Umno's refusal to give the nod for the recognition of the UEC.

"MCA must also explain to the Chinese community why the 10 new Chinese primary schools, which were announced a day before the Budget 2018, were not included in Budget 2018?

"Who is going to fund the construction of these 10 schools?" Chong asked.