MCA leader tells Nazri to join DAP
(MMO) – MCA’s Datuk Ti Lian Ker today continued his war of words with Umno, this time challenging Umno’s Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz to join the DAP opposition party if the latter thought lowly of other Barisan Nasional components’ contributions.
The MCA central committee member suggested that the tourism and culture minister appeared more inclined to work with political rival DAP than Umno’s partners in BN such as the MCA, Gerakan and MIC.
Ti asserted that Nazri would not be a Cabinet member if there were no BN coalition, and asked if the Umno supreme council member was prepared to stand as an independent if he thought the other component parties were of little significance.
“If people like Nazri are not happy with the BN components, he can leave and join DAP of which he is seen to be more comfortable with.
“Contrary to Nazri’s assertions and his likes, let us be reminded that BN’s victory is the results of all component parties,” Ti said in a statement today.
Nazri told Malay Mail Online in a recent interview that Umno was the dominant party in BN because other components had to rely on “parachuting” their leaders and candidates into safe areas rather than fielding locals to contest.
He cited the example of MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, who is the MP for Segamat despite being a Penang native.
Ti has openly criticised Umno since the start of the month, telling the party to be more appreciative of its allies in BN, among others.
He also accused Umno of using scare tactics and intimidation against minorities to obtain support from the Malay community, saying the country has moved on from such communal politics.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is Umno acting deputy president, today retorted by saying that his party did not engage in scare tactics, but was able to gain support due to its persuasiveness.
Ahmad also told BN leaders not to openly criticise one another, but to reserve their dissatisfaction for the coalition’s supreme council meetings.
