MELAKA: MCA will not abandon constituencies simply because they are difficult to win, as the party has a responsibility to the community, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA president said winning elections was not the party’s only consideration, particularly when it came to serving the Chinese community.
“No matter how difficult the constituency, we cannot abandon them. We have to continue working and contesting there,” he said when met at the Bandar Hilir Barisan Nasional operations room here.
Dr Wee acknowledged that the two additional seats allocated to MCA in the Melaka state election were rival strongholds and difficult to win.
“But even if winning is difficult, it would be even worse if we simply gave up and walked away.
“That is why MCA is compelled to contest,” he said.
He said the party hoped its decision to contest challenging constituencies would help generate stronger support and secure more votes than in previous general and state elections.
Dr Wee said MCA was drawing confidence from its performance in the Johor and Negri Sembilan polls, where the party managed to win seats considered difficult to capture.
He said MCA’s experience in those states showed that the party should not underestimate its chances, adding that it was prepared to contest constituencies where it believed it was better suited to represent the people.
“We are not afraid. We want to show that we do not shy away from any responsibility,” he said.
Dr Wee also expressed confidence in Melaka MCA’s new candidates, Melvin Chua Kew Wei and Jasmine Lok Huey Yee, describing both as experienced city councillors who had been serving their respective communities long before the election campaign.
“They are not parachute candidates. They have been on the ground for a long time.
“They don’t just appear when it is election season. People already know them,” he said.
He said he hoped voters would give the candidates their support, adding that the candidates’ familiarity with local issues made them a good choice for voters in their respective constituencies.
MCA is contesting four seats in the 16th Melaka Election, with incumbents Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem defending Machap Jaya, Datuk Lim Ban Hong defending Klebang, Lok contesting Bandar Hilir and Chua contesting Kota Laksamana.
Polling day is on Nov 14.
