MCA prefers to sit out state elections to ease racial tensions, says party vice-president

R. Loheswar
·2-min read
Malay Mail
Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said his party preferred to play the role of peace broker leading up to elections in six states.

He blamed DAP for scaring Malays from voting for Umno and threw shade at the former for cooperating with Islamist party PAS in the past when it suited them.

Ti said MCA had decided not to participate in the state elections because it disagreed with DAP’s methods of stoking racial sentiments to garner votes.

“Suddenly, DAP, which is working with Umno now, is aiming to scare non-Malay voters, especially the Chinese from voting for PAS, while subscribing to the theory that Malays will vote for PAS since it is with Perikatan (Nasional) and non-Malays will vote for Pakatan (Harapan) led by DAP.

“MCA believes this polarisation along racial and religious lines will intensify once we get closer to polling day all for the sake of garnering votes by intensifying the hate for one another. Therefore, MCA has decided to sit out these elections and play the peacemaker role which is the party’s ethos since the formation of Malaysia,” he said on Facebook.

On Wednesday the two main component parties of Barisan Nasional, MCA and MIC, announced today they would not field any of their candidates in the impending state elections.

In separate statements, MCA secretary-general Datuk Chong Sin Woon and his MIC counterpart RT Rajasekaran said that the parties still pledge their allegiance to BN and will focus their energy on the next general election instead.

Also, on Wednesday, the Election Commission (EC) set August 12 as voting day in elections which will be held simultaneously in six states, namely Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh also announced that nomination day was set for July 29, while early voting date will take place on August 8.

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