Balakong by-election: Cheras voters spoilt for choice in Thursday night ceramahs

BALAKONG: With their respective ceramah stages 300m apart from each other and nearly 20 speakers from both MCA and Pakatan Harapan, voters in Taman Megah were spoilt for choice on Thursday (Aug 23) night.

The night's lineup saw figures such as Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Steven Sim and state executive councillor Ganabatirau Veraman on the Pakatan side for candidate Wong Siew Ki, while MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong went to bat for Tan Chee Teong.

“You want a check and balance, you need to understand what these terms mean. Their idea is to watch while we do, they could learn something from us, their definition is too simplistic,” Wong joked with the audience.

Meanwhile, Dr Wee said the people in power were still acting as if they were the opposition.

Speaking after observing the Pakatan speakers, Dr Wee hit out at some speakers for criticising MCA's friendliness with Islamist party PAS

“We welcome support from everyone, including Pas, DAP, and PKR. If they want to give their support, we are not hypocrites,” Dr Wee said.

He called on the other side to read their history and the previous political cooperation between DAP and PAS.

Dr Wee also hit at DAP leaders for misleading the Chinese community on the Unified Exam Certificate’s recognition.

He quoted a report where Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chief strategist Rais Husin and explained that in addition to Malay language and History credits, UEC students also needed to have credits in Science and Mathematics.

“It is a rude shock to me. Don't tell me Liew Chin Tong and Ong Kian Ming, who represented DAP when they drafted the Buku Harapan were in the dark," said Dr Wee.

He also pointed the hypocrisy in the new Sales and Service Tax, where caskets and infant food were also subjected to these taxes.

“Lim Guan Eng used to criticise the Goods and Services Tax for being a cradle to grave tax, don't tell me this isn't same,” he said.