Why was Chew picked for Kajang?
Chew Mei Fun has a better track record as compared to Anwar
Leven Woon, FMT
For many on the streets, Barisan Nasional’s decision to pick a comeback MCA leader Chew Mei Fun to challenge Pakatan Rakyat heavyweight Anwar Ibrahim for the upcoming Kajang state by-election is raising eyebrows.
But for MCA, Chew possesses many qualities that are in direct opposition to what Anwar has been criticised for.
The 50-year-old former women minister is a proven leader with principals, said MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong, citing the 2010 incident when Chew honoured her word to resign as the Wanita MCA chief if Chua Soi Lek became the party president.
Her insistence to keep a distance from Chua due to the latter’s tainted past made her wander in the political wilderness for the past three years, till she was elected as MCA vice chief last December.
In contrast, Wee claimed that Anwar is someone who flip-flops often.
“A man who on Jan 27 said that he is not going to contest in the Kajang by-election, and changed his mind the following day; that speaks volumes.
“And don’t forget, he has said he is not contesting to become the Selangor Menteri Besar,” he said.
Chew, in the view of BN, is also a leader that has a clean record, something that might be seen as lacking in Anwar. The PKR de facto leader has been accused for various indecent sexual acts from time to time.
To capitalise on Chew’s strength, Wee said while Anwar is a “world-class” politician, BN would like to present Chew as a down-to-earth figure ready to assist local folks in their daily issues.
“Of course CNN knows Anwar. But you want to elect a representative at the state level.
“If you vote for us, you will get someone to serve you. If you vote for Anwar, probably he will get his personal assistant to attend to you,” he said.
What Wee said was the gist of BN’s election strategy, but this might not be enough for BN to triumph over Anwar and capture the urban seat.
In the 2008 general election, BN lost the seat to PKR by 3,268 votes. The defeat margin has jumped one-fold to 6,824 in the 2013 polls.
To make things worse, a Universiti Malaya Center for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel) survey published on Thursday showed that 59% of the Kajang voters found the Kajang polls necessary to allow Anwar to become the Selangor MB.
