What Chinese voters want?

2010-04-21 15:04

If BN is able to retrieve Malay and Indian votes in the coming Hulu Selangor by-election but there is no increase in Chinese votes, MCA will have to bear the greatest pressure. MCA leaders are anxious but what can be done in only a few days time?

DAP key leaders, including party adviser Lim Kit Siang and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, have been paying visits in Chinese areas. Crowds of people attended their "ceramah", just like the 8 March general elections. It is difficult for MCA's people friendly approach to withstand it.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will start joining the election campaign after his visit to the United States and Japan. The Prime Minister, accompanied by MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek who will return on Thursday (22 April), is scheduled to visit four Chinese New Villages on Friday (23 April) and Saturday (24 April), hoping to fight more Chinese votes with the Prime Minister's openness image and the "1Malaysia" concept.

Although MCA has 8000 members in Hulu Selangor, the 8 March general elections has proven that even BN members were not supporting BN. Otherwise, there would not be a political tsunami. Moreover, the MCA party crisis and fresh polls have just ended. We cannot rule out the possibility that some members who are dissatisfied with those in power may take the advantage of the by-election to embarrass MCA. The strength of the Ong Tee Keat faction in Hulu-Selangor is also a question.

If the by-election votes of party members can be easily controlled like the MCA fresh polls, MCA will then have 8000 votes. But voters enjoy voting privacy and thus, no one can force them to vote for any of the candidates. How many part members have MCA found? How many people have promised to vote for BN? MCA leaders have no answer for these questions either.

Moreover, among the 17,000 Chinese voters in Hulu Selangor, 70% of them are from 13 Chinese New Villages, which have always been strong areas for the opposition.

In fact, the Hulu Selangor by-election is a test for MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, Secretary-General Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha and Selangor MCA Chief Datuk Donald Lim. It is also a challenge for all factions and leaders at all levels. A total of 23 leaders at all levels, including leaders from the Ong Ka Ting, Ong Tee Keat and Liow Tiong Lai's factions, have adopted 21 Chinese-dominated new villages and towns.

When the by-election results are released, the results for every polling station will be clearly stated. Who has actively canvassed, who has better approaches and who has just muddled through it will be shown by figures. No one can escape from their responsibilities.

If they reward on merit, leaders with good results will have more bargaining chips to fight for official posts while those with poor results will have no chance to enter the Cabinet.

The by-election results can show whether MCA has truly united. Or would it trigger the outbreak of another controversy? They may not be able to integrate MCA through a by-election, but cruelly, UMNO will judge MCA based on the by-election.

No matter how many Chinese votes BN can get , MCA leaders should honestly tell UMNO about the difficulties they face when trying to gain Chinese votes, and what Chinese actually want. Chinese voters do not vote based on the funding and candies distributed during the election campaign. BN needs long-term achievements and performance to build Chinese confidence.

Compared to other races, Chinese are having higher political awareness. They must understand this point first before they can win Chinese votes.