KUALA LUMPUR, April 24- Datuk Yap Pian Hon has been on both sides of the political divide and, as one of the longest-serving Chinese grassroots leaders, he is a man with a mission as the country goes to the polls on May 5. Yap is riled by talk that the MCA, which he joined in 1974 after leaving the opposition DAP, will be politically finished off in this election.
“Yes, there is a group of people who want to wipe out the MCA from the political arena but will the grassroots of MCA just let their party be destroyed by one election?
“I don’t agree that the MCA will be wiped out; the majority of the grassroots hope that the MCA will continue to play a role in the Barisan Nasional. Chinese rights can only be protected by political power, there is no other way,” he said when met at his Seri Kembangan operations base where he is preparing for his comeback to contest the Serdang parliamentary seat for the ninth time.
Yap, still a sprightly figure despite pushing 70, is aware of the tough battle facing the MCA as he makes his coffee shop rounds in Serdang, which encompasses Serdang Baharu – the second largest new village in the country, and has an electorate that is 49 per cent Chinese and 40 per cent Malay.
“They say the MCA is not good but this is all perception and like using one bamboo cane to beat everybody in the boat (tar with the same brush). I asked in return who has given them the peace and stability as they enjoy drinking their tea and, when some reply it is their parents, I asked again how their family got all these things,” he said.
Yap, who remembers cycling 12 miles (19 km) daily from Serdang, where he still lives, to study at the then Confucian High School in Kuala Lumpur, said the expectations of the Chinese varied depending on their income, education and occupation backgrounds.
“For those in the low-income category, Chinese education cannot be compromised, like my father and 99.9 per cent of the Chinese in new villages who sent their children to Chinese schools,” he said.
But apart from defending Chinese education and socio-economic issues, Yap said the Chinese too had a duty to ensure national security, racial harmony and peaceful living. Given the existing race-based political parties in the country for now, the MCA and the BN were the only alternative for the community which formed 24 per cent of the population, he said.
“As a minority, we must solidly protect our constitutional right on education and other rights, and we work together with the other races to make the country safe and peaceful. If we choose to go individual ways, who will care for you? Only in a group can we be represented,” Yap said.
He urged Chinese voters to think carefully and not fall into the trap of the opposition, that included the DAP, which had exploited issues faced by the community and made it seem that the Chinese were not supporting the BN.
“The opposition has no common political ideology, the DAP is for Malaysian Malaysia, PAS is for ‘hudud’ and PKR is Anwar. How can they manage a good government in Putrajaya?” asked Yap.
Yap pointed out that in the 12 general elections held in the country post-independence, the Chinese had supported the BN in 10 of them except in 1969 and 2008 when the MCA won only 15 parliamentary seats.
“The BN is also showing that it can change. Prime Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak has announced the 1Malaysia concept and is really transforming socio-economy, administration and politics but four years is too short for the country to change overnight.
“Look at his track record, his way of tackling problems and he goes down to the ground to listen to the people, that’s leadership. Why not give the chance to BN for another term and see what happens?” Yap said.
BERNAMA
