TTF: Lim Kit Siang allowed Mahathir to become Pakatan Harapan’s Top Dog on paper to give the coalition a ‘Malay face’. The plan was to convince the Malays that Pakatan had on board Chinese pluralists who were willing to be led by a nationalist with 22 years experience running the country. But the plan backfired.
Not only are the Malays convinced that Kit Siang is running the show, the Chinese feel betrayed as the senior Lim spent more than two decades accusing the former premier of “Islamizing every faculty of the social and administrative strata” to infuse “Islamic fundamentalism into mainstream ideology.” They do not want to see a return to Mahathirism and are actually beginning to look the other way.
That explains why the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar twin by-elections registered a 25% swing in the Chinese voter base. Chinamen are convinced that the senior Lim does not have their interests at heart and is interested only in satiating his thirst for power. They have seen it in Penang.
Chinamen around Komtar told TTF last night that their support for Lim Guan Eng drowned with Saturday’s floodwaters. They no longer believe that the Chief Minister cares about the people and are convinced that he is focused on selling state land to cash-rich developers just to rake in profits.
Yes, Kit Siang is well aware that the 14th general election (GE14) will go down in history as “the day Najib stole the DAP’s thunder.” Which is why, Liow makes quite a compelling case (see news item below). The Chinese pendulum is swinging, and from the looks of it, tilted more in favour of MCA and the greater Barisan Nasional.
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA is optimistic that more Chinese support is flowing back to Barisan Nasional (BN) and that it is now strongly poised to win more Parliamentary seats in the upcoming General Election 14 (GE14).
MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said regular surveys and feedbacks that the party had received from the ground showed that the votes from across the board were coming back to the party.
“MCA is working hard and we have a strong team, while the opposition is divided with no vision. We are ready to wrestle the seats that we lost in the last election,” he said at a news conference after the 64th MCA Annual General Meeting at Wisma MCA, here today.
He added that in preparation for the GE14, MCA would not leave out any segment of the electorate, and it was engaging in multiple strategies to reach out for their support, especially the youth, which would make up the majority of the voters’ demography in GE14.
“We have a mechanism on reaching out to them. We have educational institutions for the young to engage them in nation building,” he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called upon the MCA to win more seats in GE14, at least 15 as compared to the seven they won in GE13.
He said this was necessary so that the Chinese community would have a stronger voice in the Barisan Nasional coalition to look after their interest.
As for the election candidate line up, Liow said that there would be new faces and several incumbents dropped.
On another question, he confirmed that he would defend the Bentong Parliament seat which he held since 1999.
Liow said MCA had also sent a MCA Crisis Relief Squad (CRSM) to help Penang which was badly hit by a tropical storm and flooding since yesterday.
Regions around Komtar submerged under water on Sunday morning
Meanwhile, the MCA’s 64th Annual General Assembly which concluded today also approved 15 resolutions encompassing five aspects namely party affairs, politics, the government, economy and education.
Among those approved unanimously by the 1,526 delegates were supporting the National Transformation Plan 2050 (TN50) by urging the Chinese community at all levels to participate in national transformation and development to achieve the mission of becoming a nation with high income.
The general assembly also wanted all MCA members to reject strongly any extremist statement and action that could divide the community.
On the economic aspect, the MCA wanted the government to draw up a comprehensive plan to develop e-business including the implementation of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and setting up of a Digital Free Trade Zone to ensure that the people also participated in the national economic development.
Source: Bernama
