‘Half of MCA candidates are new faces under 50’

Meet and greet: Liow (standing, second from left) chatting with people during his visit to a hawker centre at Jalan Kebun Sultan in Kelantan. With him is Chua (standing, right). — Bernama

KUALA TERENGGANU: More than 50% of the candidates to be fielded by MCA in the general election are new faces and under 50, said party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

“We’ve finalised and short­listed the candidates and will send it to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,” he said at the state-level celebration of the party’s 69th anniversary.

Liow said the energy and dynamism of the youths combined with the country’s leadership are necessary to build the nation.

MCA will be contesting in 90 state seats and 40 parliamentary seats, he added.

Among the younger faces MCA hand-picked to contest in the general election is Kuala Terengganu-­born Toh Seng Cheng.

The 48-year-old general manager of a home development business is also the state MCA youth chief.

He will stand in the Bandar state seat within the parliamentary constituency of Kuala Tereng­ganu.

Bandar state seat was previously held by state MCA chairman Datuk Toh Chin Yaw before losing it to Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Azan Ismail in the 13th general election.

In Kota Baru, Liow, also the Transport Minister, said Kelantan would enjoy a booming economy within the next five years as necessary infrastructure projects to improve sea, air and land routes are in place.

Therefore, he said, it is crucial for the Chinese community to help Barisan Nasional wrest control of the state, as the upgraded Tok Bali Port has great potential to be part of the Maritime Silk Route to boost trade with China.

“We must be part of the state government to complement the Federal Government’s initiatives to take Kelantan to greater heights,” he said after a luncheon with NGOs here yesterday.

“Barisan wants to rule Kelantan which has been under PAS rule for far too long. People want to see change,” he said.

Earlier in the morning, Liow visited coffeeshops and a hawker centre together with MCA’s potential candidate for the Kota Lama seat, Chua Hock Kuan, an MCA Youth member.

Kota Lama, which is a PAS stronghold, would likely see a four-cornered fight between PAS, Barisan, Pakatan Harapan and Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

“I am happy to see an impressive turnout, especially from youth associations. They are confident Kelantan will enjoy greater growth under Barisan rule,” said Liow.