MCA has accused Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of indoctrinating children with anti-government messages through an anti-GST song.

This came after Lim reportedly featured the song yesterday during an officiating ceremony at the Mutiara Idaman 2 flats, where free tuition classes would be provided under the state’s Penggerak Komuniti Muda Pulau Pinang (Peka) youth empowerment programme.

In a statement, MCA publicity chief Ti Lian Ker said Lim had crossed the line by having children sing along with the song.

“The DAP-led Penang government’s move to force children to sing like this show what DAP knows no bounds to their toxic politics, to the extent that children would be used and have their minds poisoned by sowing hatred towards the federal government,” he said.

He pointed out that DAP had previously criticised Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor over his presence at school programme featuring Umno, but said Lim’s actions were even worse.

He said Tengku Adnan was mere attending a function with a patriotic theme that featured Umno’s role in achieving national independence, whereas Lim was “poisoning” the minds of children.

The federal government had only introduced GST after careful study, said Ti, adding about 170 other countries also collect GST in their respective jurisdictions.

“Children should not be indoctrinated with anti-government messages and to reject government policies without providing the full facts,” he said.

He accused DAP of being irresponsible, and urged Lim and DAP to stop such acts. He said the move was not in line with teaching children to think critically and rationally by weighing arguments for or against a policy or a decision.

Yesterday, Sin Chew Daily reported that Lim aired a parody anti-GST song at the launching ceremony for the free tuition classes, and led the children present to sing along.

The report quoted him saying he had gotten the music video from the internet, and decided to share it because he found it interesting, yet easy to sing.

The opening lyrics of the Bahasa Malaysia song went, “ABCD-GST, prices (of goods) are rising. Salaries have yet to increase, so we have to eat Maggi (instant) noodles.”

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching had sung the same song in the Dewan Rakyat while debating the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s speech on March 15, in order to press home the point that even children know that GST is a burden to the people and had been singing this song.

In October last year, Tengku Adnan was criticised for attending the prize-giving ceremony for a class decorating and performance competition at SK Putrajaya Presint 14 (1).

As part of the event, the school was draped in Umno flags along with the national flag, while students also waved the Umno flag and sang the party song. The pupils also chanted “Hidup Umno” (Long live Umno).

Lim at the time accused Umno of brainwashing students. He said this was an abuse of power and urged the Education Ministry to take action against the school’s headmaster and the teachers involved.

Several other DAP leaders had also criticised the event.

However, the Education Ministry said the event in Putrajaya was neither political nor unusual, and was purportedly planned by the school to explain Malaysia’s journey to independence.