![\"\"](\"http:\/\/teresakok.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/IMG_7570x.jpg\")
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Three days ago, I received a visit from the managers of Gardenia bread. Gardenia bakes their breads in several factories in Selangor and distributes them nationwide from Selangor.<\/p>\n
They came to meet me to express their concern to me over some untruths about Gardenia which are being spread via SMS, forwarded email and Facebook in recent weeks, and continue to be spread.<\/p>\n
There are various permutations of these messages but in a nut shell, \u00a0the message alleges that Gardenia is linked to Barisan Nasional, UMNO and Bernas which are anti-Chinese, and thus Chinese Malaysians are urged to boycott Gardenia and purchase another brand of bread instead.<\/p>\n
I too received such an SMS on that day. The SMS was written in Chinese. \u00a0I find this SMS to be extremely racist and not acceptable.<\/p>\n
DAP and I have been very critical of the use of the race-based angle in all our years of political struggle. I condemn the use of the race-based angle in attacking Gardenia.<\/p>\n
I also advise members of the public to be more careful with any information received via forwarded SMS\/email and not forward information without verifying the information first.<\/p>\n
Here is the press statement by Gardenia which further clarifies the issue.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/teresakok.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/press-statement.jpg\")
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