Tok Mat: Chinese voters are more neutral now

PONTIAN: The political views of the Chinese has become “neutral”, which contrasted with the community’s stand during the 14th General Election when most of them backed Pakatan Harapan, says Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic).

The Rantau assemblyman said this was his observation after campaigning for Barisan’s Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng yesterday.

“That’s important. We want them to be neutral, and then it’s up to us to convince them. Chinese voters are intelligent with the way they use their votes.

“So long as they are already on neutral ground, it depends on how we approach them, ” said Mohamad.

Asked if the return of Chinese support could begin in Tanjung Piai, Mohamad replied that “nothing is impossible”.

“Look at the Rantau by-election. I enjoyed about 25% Chinese votes and 38% Indian votes.

“It is a matter of how we convince them. We must send the right message, do work and don’t talk nonsense, ” he said.

Mohamad said a candidate’s appeal to voters would hinge on his or her ability to service their constituents.

“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ‘danced’ nearly every day (during the Rantau by-election campaign) and they still could not win.

“I work hard in Rantau, and I’m there every Thursday, ” he said.

He added that Tanjung Piai is also the best platform for Barisan to gauge whether Chinese support had returned to MCA.

“We want to see how the acceptance and support are towards MCA. So, this is the best testing ground.

“We also want to see how far MCA can pull back Chinese votes and attract their attention, ” he told reporters after a ceramah in Jalan Parit Bugis here.

Similarly the Tanjung Piai by-election is also be a testing ground for public acceptance of Umno’s alliance with PAS, referred to as Muafakat Nasional.

“The first phase was Penyatuan Ummah (Muslim unity), where the two biggest Malay parties must unite, and that has been done.

“The second phase is where we migrate from Penyatuan Ummah to Muafakat Nasional. It is called such because we want to embrace everybody and that is why MIC and MCA are looped in, ” he said, adding that Muafakat Nasional could be a “new brand” to replace Barisan.

The Tanjung Piai polls on Nov 16 will be a six-cornered fight between Pakatan’s Karmaine Sardini, Barisan’s Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam, Berjasa’s Dr Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz and independents Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar and Dr Ang Chuan Lock.

The by-election was called following the death of its incumbent, 42-year-old Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik on Sept 21.

In GE14, Dr Farid won the seat with a slim 524-vote majority against Wee and PAS candidate Nordin Othman.