PETALING JAYA: MCA’s move in loaning some of its seats to Barisan Nasional component parties is part of a “think out of the box” strategy to ensure the coalition does well in the general election.
In appealing to members to look at the bigger picture, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said he understood their frustrations but they should put aside pride and concentrate on making sure Barisan wins.
“The loaning of seats does not mean we are giving them away. It is a thinking out of the box’ strategy to ensure Barisan wins,” he said yesterday after launching The Star‘s Accelerator Fund.
He said MCA would get back the seats it loaned out, together with additional ones, when a redelineation exercise is carried out.
Dr Chua stressed that the ultimate aim was to win the May 5 polls. “When we look at the figures and feel that a component party can win the war, then they should stand,” he said.
He added that those who were not selected to contest should accept that there were limited seats and the need for rejuvenation.
“Candidates are not chosen based on factions,” he stressed.
To a question, Dr Chua said his predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was not picked to defend his Pandan parliamentary seat because Ong had repeatedly expressed his lack of confidence in the party.
“He repeatedly said MCA is not relevant and he doesn’t represent MCA. So, if you don’t represent the party, you shouldn’t contest,” he said.
He also cautioned people to vote carefully as a weakened MCA meant the Chinese community would be represented by the opposition.
“We are actually voting ourselves out of the government and in a multiracial country, this is actually very dangerous,” he said, and lamented that the Chinese community does not seem to sense the danger.
Citing Johor as an example, which is seeing a strong challenge from Pakatan Rakyat, Dr Chua said that if PAS took over the state, it was like sending a message that the Johor people do not welcome a liberal society that the state had been so far.
“The special racial and religious harmony that existed in Johor may even be threatened. The divisiveness created can have a long-term impact on the socio-economic landscape of Johor,” he said.
He said a strong PAS presence in Johor would drive the wrong message to investors because their track record had shown that they were not pro-business.
THE STAR ONLINE
