by Anisah Shukry The Malaysian Insider May 27, 2014
After receiving such a bashing from the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, the Chinese in Malaysia would be stupid if they still voted for the ruling coalition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last night.
The opposition leader told some 3,000 people in Anson Industrial Park, Teluk Intan, that BN had no respect for the Chinese, and this was made evident in the way they treated the community.
“They (BN) dismiss the Indians. They label Chinese as trespassers. Yet still there are Chinese who vote BN. These Chinese have no shame.
“When the prime minister comes, (he says) what else do the Chinese want? A minister said Chinese are trespassers. Yet, (the Chinese still say) love live BN! How stupid these Chinese are,” Anwar said.
DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud will face BN-Gerakan’s Datuk Mah Siew Keong this Saturday for the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat, after it fell vacant following the death of Seah Leong Peng on May 31.
Earlier yesterday, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said only the Chinese would be happy if BN lost in the by-election, as they are already wealthy and ungrateful for it.
“I would feel sad if DAP won again in Teluk Intan. The Malays would be sad. The Indians would be even sadder.
“But the Chinese would be fine, because they have all sorts of businesses. But if it weren’t for the Malays or Indians who buy goods from them, they wouldn’t have any business.
“It is the Malays and the Indians who help Chinese businessmen. And when they vote, they choose DAP. They are ungrateful,” Zahid told about 100 Malays in Durian Sebatang, Teluk Intan, yesterday.
Anwar told the crowd last night that if the BN leaders do not respect them, they should reject BN and vote DAP this Saturday, May 31.
The opposition leader also praised Dyana for her youth and experience and for working with DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, whom he described as a tireless leader.
“Dyana is still young, if she does something wrong, we can teach her. Kit Siang had the foresight; he trained her for a year in politics.
“Do you think it is easy working with Kit Siang? He does not know the meaning of being tired, he does not know how to sleep – even I don’t know what he takes. Ginseng tablets, or maybe Tongkat Ali,” said Anwar in jest.
He also slammed BN for resorting to “bikini politics” to fight Dyana, who has been the victim of hooliganism, sexism and an online smear campaign since her candidacy was announced.
“Talk about your (BN’s) education policies, what you want to do for the people of Teluk Intan, the prices of goods. Instead you ask: what lipstick are you wearing? What brand of bikini are you wearing?
“This is Umno-BN’s politics, even though in Islam, you are not supposed to cheat people, insult people, or lay bare their sins. This is xiao ren (disgusting) politics,” said Anwar.
He said he was also confused as to why Gerakan still held any appeal for voters in Teluk Intan, given its track record in Penang.
“Does Gerakan even still exist? I am confused, in Penang people don’t care for Gerakan anymore, so why are they still around in Teluk Intan?” he said.
Mah, who is Gerakan president, won the Teluk Intan seat twice in the 1999 and 2004 general elections, but lost to DAP’s M. Manogaran and Seah in 2008 and 2013 with 1,470 and 7,313-votes majority respectively.
Teluk Intan has 60,349 voters including 410 early voters and 12 absentee voters. Early voting is scheduled for today.
The constituency has 23,301 Malay voters (38.6%), 25,310 Chinese voters (41.9%) and 11,648 Indian voters (19%).
The DAP first won the federal seat, then known as Teluk Anson, in the 1969 election, when Chan Fu King beat MCA’s Dr Ng Kam Poh in a major upset. – May 25, 2014.