Moving the Chinese ground
Analysis
By JOCELINE TAN
Hot button issues and prevailing national sentiments influenced the way the Chinese voted in the Hulu Selangor by-election. THERE was a feel-good mood in the Barisan Nasional camp on Sunday.
Winning back the Hulu Selangor seat had given the Barisan team a great psychological boost. It had been a hard-fought contest and it was also the third Barisan win in 10 by-elections.
At the same time, there was also a degree of frustration amid the upbeat mood because the Chinese vote had not moved to Barisan. Only about 20% of those in Chinese-majority areas had helped Barisan’s P. Kamalanathan to win.
“We can’t deny it. The Chinese ground has not shifted since the 2008 general election,” said Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, who heads the MCA think-tank Insap.
Things could have been worse. The reading shortly after nomination day was that up to 85% of the Chinese would support PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
MCA leaders readily admit that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s decision to go down and make his presence felt in a number of Chinese new villages in the constituency had an effect.
“The Prime Minister put his prestige on the line. He helped stem the flood,” said Dr Fong.
Umno politicians have been asking why MCA has been unable to do its part in delivering the Chinese vote. They are puzzled that the Chinese could not be moved by the Government’s promise of a RM3mil grant for the Chinese school there.
One Umno politician had asked rather rhetorically: “What more do the Chinese want?”
“What many Umno politicians fail to understand is that many issues that upset the Chinese have more to do with Umno than with MCA,” said Sin Chew executive director Rita Sim.
For instance, Datuk Noh Omar’s foot-in-the-mouth remark that non-Malays should be grateful they were granted citizenship was appalling and ill-timed.
The Selangor Umno deputy chief quickly apologised but the damage was done. DAP went to town with it, stringing up banners of him in the Chinese new villages.
There were other current issues affecting the Chinese mood in Hulu Selangor. One is the lingering spill-over from the Barisan takeover of Perak.
“It was close to home, just next door,” said Sim.
more hereA person of your caliber with a Phd and heading INSAP still can't get the right picture . I have not heard you mention one word about a tainted MCA president . Don't you think that the Chinese are all fools , that they have no pride . How would a Chinese face the people when their party is led by a man whose dick has been exposed for all to see ?
It is prosposterous that both Fong and Sim have both not mentioned a single word about this major factor . If its not just the Chinese , then what about the 8000 MCA members that the tainted president promised that he would deliver the 8000 votes for the BN ? If you cannot deliver the 8000 votes what is there to talk about the rest of the Chinese ? It just means the 8000 MCA members have rejected you as their leader , and our Dr Fong and Sim who was once from INSAP failed to see that point . Just like way back in 308 where the Chinese and MCA members rejected Ong Ka Ting and his candidates thus providing the opposition with a tsunami .
The truth is the Chinese community, even MCA member in Hulu Selangor reject MCA .....it is a strong message to MCA that the Chinese community do not want a a tainted person to represent them.....if DS Ong Tee Keat is the MCA President today, the result will be completely difference, BN would easily secure at least 50% of the Chinese votes.
ReplyDeleteDidn't we told MCA people before that the Chinese community do not want a tainted person to be MCA president and MCA central delegates do not want to listen to our wise advise instead challenge us to choose otherwise, so MCA people should not don't blame anybody but face the truth and lick your wound......after you wake up, do the honorable and sack your tainted president...
MCA has failed when the insults from UMNO bigots and Perkosa had not stopped even MCA being "vocal" as claimed. MCA further insulted us by keeping quiet when UMNO threw money at our faces at every election. WE ARE NOT BEGGARS. We paid the most taxes yet MCA cannot do anything when we were deprived of our rights as citizens. MCA even took advantage of the situation by enriching themselves. MCA can drop dead for all we care. We rather vote an Eskimo who can be fair to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe only person PR is worried about is OTK. He has the support of the people especially his handling of PKFZ. OTK cannot turn the tide but he enjoy quite a bit of support that can make a difference in winning or losing a marginal seat. OTK will have a future outside MCA if BN remains unchanged.
ReplyDeleteThe tainted President still wants to blame the 80% grass root members not to vote BN candidates. He could not find any reasons to explain the fall of MCA MEMBER VOTES in fact. The best thing is to blame the members and he might take Discipline Action against the Division Chairman and Committees. The DSFCO is now sharpening his knife now to chop....... if the list has presented to him.
ReplyDeleteWe do not need opinions we need facts. FACTS: 1) The Chinese community has rejected MCA and through it the BN. 2) Najib says there were no money politics, whatever given were due long ago and also to address problems that the people were facing. My question, by putting forth a proposition to a Chinese school that it will get RM 3M IF the BN win. Will the IF consider a vote-buying or just a simple addressing problems that the people were facing? 3) The disparity of votes garnered between OTK's area and the rest of MCA leaders' speak volumes.
ReplyDeleteSo, we do not need paradigm shift, we need president shift or better, president remove!!
Anon 05:45 PM,
ReplyDelete"The only person PR is worried about is OTK. He has the support of the people especially his handling of PKFZ"
You are right, that why Lim kit Siang keep hitting OTK...they all know the tainted president is a gonna, no need for them to waste their energy on him.
LKS is knowing who to fire, never miss. But OTK is not Lamp with Limited Oil. To OTK , LKS fires his gun , but killing the WRONG TARGET. LKS said everydays asked 3 questions in the PKFZ, LTL/WKS/CMF/BOSS TIONG ALL HAVE PROBLEMS OR SHIT COMES OUT. This time the WRONG TARGET IS .....
ReplyDeleteThe HS by election post-mortem will not miss out the outcome of the 900 delegates to elect a TAINTED PRESIDENT , believe it. Any beautiful words uttering from both Rita Sim and MCA INSAP chief DS.DR.Fong remarks could not escape from any analysis of professional , both are the root-decaying factor of MCA and BN . 70% of MCA members vote against party , not a small figure. It will be a sign of (1) Collapse of BN government imminent, (2) 80% Chinese reject CSL/MCA/Perkasa/TDM , (3)Hj Zaid is type of moderate Malay leader acceptable widely, (4) The One Malaysian Spirit springing in Opposition,(5) The sum of MCA member is exaggerated (6) Money is the most important.
ReplyDeleteMCA tainted president reportedly said; In its preliminary post-mortem, the MCA found three factors for the decline in Chinese voter support for BN in Hulu Selangor, one of which was that the PKR candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim was better known as he was a former minister and had a higher profile than BN's P. Kamalanathan, new face.
ReplyDeleteHe said Zaid who was liberal-minded was considered a hero among the younger generation of Chinese voters although there were attempts to discredit him as a (liquor) drinker and gambler.
Dr Chua said the second factor was the leadership differences between former Hulu Selangor MCA chairman Datuk Ch'ng Toh Eng and the incumbent, so there could be elements of sabotage.
The third factor was the sensitive statements made by certain political leaders about the Chinese, such as they should be grateful for being given citizenship and that they were "pendatang" (immigrants).
Dr Chua said Teoh Beng Hock's death under mysterious circumstances and the Chinese community's greater awareness of national issues were among the other contributing factors.
He said that out of the 17,000 Chinese voters in Hulu Selangor, 7,000 were MCA members.....
Then,
Tee Keat said; The time has come for MCA and Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders to take a hard look at the result of the Hulu Selangor by-election, in particular the level of Chinese voter support.
Former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, who is also transport minister, said it would be unfair for anyone to jump to conclusions by making mere political statements, especially those who linked the political support with electoral goodies.
"I think that doesn't help much. What we want to know is the heart and soul of the people when they make certain decisions...there must be some reasons behind (their decisions).
"Is it because of certain misgivings, fear, founded or unfounded? I think all these need to be studied.
"But of course, now, I am not in a position to make any conclusive remarks to these questions. Perhaps, the most appropriate person should be the present leadership," he told reporters after launching the 'Red Means Stop' campaign organised by the Road Safety Department with Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd here Tuesday.
Ong was commenting on the lack of support from Chinese voters towards BN in the Hulu Selangor by-election on Sunday.
However, Ong said, he made a personal observation on the ground when he was given the limited opportunities to assist but added it was not for public consumption.
Asked whether MCA lost the Chinese votes because of the rift in the party, he replied: "I think he (MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek) should know better when he had his walkabout, how the people or the community received him."
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Here we go, the tainted president sucks, again display his classic example of a liar and a cheat. This is typical of him, who is stubborn to admit his blunder that the Chinese community will not buy MCA tainted product, still he want to dupe every body with his nefarious stance that choose to look outward to blame everybody and everything rather than to look inward where are their faults.....
He disregard the Chinese community intelligent and think he can threaten our culture, our society, cheat people, and get away with it....he is a complete idiot to do that, instead his actions will further ruin MCA.....
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAnon 9:42. You are right. Thank You.
ReplyDeleteIt is all very clear that leadership in MCA is important. If you have a bad leader or tainted ones the chinese will reject because this is their culture - in their blood. No but no if or other excuses except those including waging war against chinese like inequality/unfairness in economic and social terms and dicriminatory tactics. CSL should get out or the SHIP is sinking into oblivion.
ReplyDelete9.34 is purely a bastard, slanding all the way without a thought or reminicent of other ways or methods of intuition
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteALL YOUR OPINIONS WERE JUST TO PROVE ONE POINT, THAT OTK IS THE BETTER PRESIDENT THAN CSL. THAT IS CORRECT .
ReplyDeleteALL THIS WHILE I AM A STUPID IDIOT TO SUGGEST THAT CSL IS A BETTER PRESIDENT THAN OTK . I AM A PAID LAP DOG OF CSL COMING TO THIS BLOG TO KACHAU , PUT MAGNUM AND EMPAT EKOR NUMBERS HERE .
PETER TAN THE IDIOT .