Umno will embrace PAS if Chinese reject BN again, Gerakan leader claims
(MMO) – Chinese Malaysians can expect a dark future if they continue to snub Barisan Nasional (BN) in the May 9 polls, Tan Sri Chang Ko Youn said.
The Perak Gerakan adviser added that the ethnic Chinese should understand the kind of law and policies that would be made if its BN ally Umno worked with Islamist party PAS, which he indicated would be inevitable the way things were looking now.
“The population is getting smaller and if Chinese do not support Barisan, they risk being sidelined.
“Do not vote according to your emotions,” he told Malay Mail in a recent interview.
The former Perak state executive councillor, who has twice failed to become a federal lawmaker, said Chinese Malaysians often complain of having a hard time.
“I do not agree as since the 1970s, our lives had actually improved. In fact, following the 1995, 1999 and 2004 general elections that saw the community throwing their support behind Barisan, quotas were removed, Public Services Department scholarships were open to Chinese… the Bumiputera agenda also softened,” he said.
He also pointed out that despite the Opposition’s sharp criticism against BN’s management of the economy, international credit ratings companies and other financial bodies said differently.
“International bodies like Standard & Poor’s, Fitch, Moody’s and the International Monetary Fund gave good ratings to Malaysia’s economy.”
Chang then asserted that if Chinese representation in the government is wiped out in the coming elections, the future generation will pay the price.
“If there are no Chinese in the administration, who will bring issues affecting the community to the attention of the government?” he asked.
“Do not let minor incidents cloud your judgment, resulting in capable leaders being removed,” he told Chinese voters.
Umno the biggest winner
Chang predicted that Umno will remain the biggest winner in GE14, attributing it to the Election Commission’s redelineation exercise that favoured the party and PAS’ refusal to join the Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact.
“It will be a challenging election but Umno will emerge the victor,” he said.
He added that traditionally, rural Malay votes are held by Umno (between 40 and 50 per cent) and PAS (30 per cent).
“PKR and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia will not be able to counter that,” he said.
He pointed out that in the last two general elections, it was PAS members who supported the Opposition pact then called Pakatan Rakyat.
“With their exit, it will split the votes further,” Chang said, and cited the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar by-elections in June 2016 as examples where PAS maintained its votes in multi-cornered fights.
“Amanah votes are largely from Chinese and maybe a little from Malays,” he said, referring to the PAS splinter, Parti Amanah Negara, which joined forces with PKR, DAP and later, Umno splinter Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) to form PH.
“Even the Beruas parliamentary seat that I contested in GE12 and GE13, the majority I lost were from PAS members,” Chang said.
Gerakan’s future in Perak
Despite being practically wiped out in all the Perak parliamentary and state seats contested in the last two general elections, Chang believes his party and fellow Chinese-based ally MCA can still take two state seats in GE14.
Gerakan was able to wrest the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat from the DAP in the 2014 by-election.
Chang said his party president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong would not have a problem defending Teluk Intan.
“Being an incumbent and also a minister, the locals value his services.
“If there is a three-cornered fight in Teluk Intan, it will work to Barisan’s advantage,” Chang said.
